So Yesterday Would Come
by angelofjoy
Summary: When a murder throws Danny head first into a case of his past, his family and children are threatened, Five-O must do all in their power to save Danny, Grace and Charlie. Death Fic - no main character death.
1. All In The Family

**_A/N: Hello dear readers, yes something new! It's an exciting day._**

 ** _I began this story, I'd say, about two years ago and never pursued it but hid it away for another day. After the events of this season's finale, I decided to revisit the story, change some of the points that would not carry on in the canon, and decided that it was time to work on it. Here is the first chapter and please tell me how you feel about it. I am looking for input on whether or not I should continue with this. I have several stories that I plan to post the beginnings of in the next few days and weeks, and based on the reception by the readers I will decide which of the stories I will dive into. I will likely write them all, but I need direction and I am looking to you, dear readers, to set me on the right path. Let me know what you think, and thank you so much for reading!_**

Chapter 1: All In The Family

Detective Danny Williams had settled into his life and the islands paces. He'd put New Jersey so far behind him that, even though he still brought it up from time to time, and certain things - like smells - took him right back there, it was hardly a memory now. It was never at the front of his mind, not when his life got in the way and Hawaii opened up to him. He was a busy man, with a family, friends, and a job that filled his life and made him feel whole for the first time in his existence.

Maybe he had become too comfortable. Maybe Hawaii really had become his home, but somewhere out there amongst the waves and the sand, somewhere miles off, away from the pacific and closer to the atlantic, the same people and problems still ruled on high in the garden state. In Hawaii - the Aloha State - things were different, slower and calmer, even though Danny Williams worked in the most high stress, high action, prestigious job he had ever held, life was so much more different and settled. Danny mockingly blamed Steve for the change of pace, not so much the island, but Danny had to leave the worries of New Jersey behind and focus all of his attention on the present. He had to, he had Steve to worry about now and all the troubles and stresses that life threw at him.

After another incredible weekend of pool parties, lunch excursions and all the general fatherly things that come with having ones daughter all to ones self, Danny made his way into work, after dropping Grace off at school, bright and early on Monday morning, and was greeted in the usual way by his peers.

"How is Charlie doing?" Steve asked as Danny walked in.

"Recovering, I imagine." Danny huffed his answered. "I only had Grace this weekend and it was great, but I am really getting sick of fighting Rachel again. I thought that was all over, and it should have been, but she's got her claws into me again."

"You've gotta fight for your rights as a father."

"I know, that's why I'm doing it, but don't you think I'm just making more enemies in the mean time?"

"He's lived three years without you, do you want to waste anymore time?" Steve asked. "You deserve to see that boy, your son, grow up, especially if you are the one who saved his life. Do you want to miss the life you've given him?"

"No." Danny stated and rushed off to his own office before Steve could continue to badger him.

The weekend, as many had in the resent months, been one of great happiness. Even with the tensions that had come out of winning joint custody of Grace, only to have Rachel hold onto her secrets and keep Charlie from him. In a way, because Danny was a match to the poor little boy, and because Charlie was doing well in his recovery, Danny and Rachel had come to an unspoken understanding, and once that had been reached, their schedules played out like clockwork. He visited Charlie in the hospital, with masks and gloves and all the things to make sure that the boy was safe in quarantine to recover from the transplant of stem cells but he was still too young to understand what Rachel had done. As far as Charlie was concerned, Stanley was his father, not Danny, but Danny had become a pretty cool and well trusted presence. Then, once his visit was over Danny picked up Grace and spent three glorious days with her - two of which has been almost all time spent together without school to worry about, or lessons to rush off to. It was a down time for the young lady, and all her activities, and so she spent her time happily with her father, and he drank it all in appreciatively because he knew it wouldn't last forever. Children grow up so fast. Grace was well on her way to adulthood, though she was still very young, and she had her own friends, ideas and paths plotted out. Soon their paths would part ways, though they would still be close, Grace would take a lead and Danny would have to step back and watch her go.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, as far as Danny was concerned. The morning passed as they always did. His cell phone rang and it was always one of about a half dozen people he knew in Hawaii. The land line at home never rang very much at all and usually, if there was a message left on his home answering machine it was from his mother. This weekend was no exception, except for one rather long, silent, message left on Saturday afternoon, with the caller ID showing up nothing more than a blocked number. Maybe the machine was on the fritz. Maybe it was a wrong number. Or maybe it was just one of his family members, likely one of the nephews or nieces pocket dialling on their cell phones again. Whatever it was, Danny shrugged it off. Deleted the message without a though and scooped his surf board up to head out to the beach.

Now with Monday on the go, Danny worked silently completing paperwork on his own as Steve made calls to the Governor about the case they'd finished early Thursday morning. Chin had swung by the HPD precinct to pick up processing reports on their suspects and the arrests that were made in the case, and Kono, well Kono was making all the calls to the families of the victims - the condolences, the calls that told them what was happening, and lastly, the calls that would bring closure to the grieving mother of two who lost her youngest daughter when a Mexican drug cartel decided it was time to wrap up loose ends and get the hell out of business on the islands. Seven people had died within hours of each other, all with the same weapon and the case came together before the hired guns could board a plane back to their homeland - well done Five-O.

It had been a case that had hit the media hard, with lots of international paper work to deal with and as such, the weekend, once they were able to have one, was a welcome time to turn away from work and just have a good time. Danny and his friends, along with his Daughter, spent a lot of time together as a group - they loved the child, young woman, too. And so, as Monday morning turned into Monday mid day, Danny and his friends remained oblivious to what was actually going on.

5-0

 _Danny Williams - newly minted detective - had been following the case, in secret, for as long as he could remember. You heard a lot as a beat cop, but never got involved. It was your job to know the people. The townies and the tourists. If you didn't know them by name, you at least knew them to see them, and Danny was no exception. He was attentive, and keen, with a mind for justice and a want to bring the world under control. It was a lot for a beat cop to aspire too, and most of the time his training office and partner, Rick, would laugh at the keenness the kid show._

 _"Take it easy D. Keep your nose clean, and do your job." Rick would say from the passenger seat of the squad car. "The sooner you get that under control, the sooner you'll move up in this game. You got what it takes, kid, to do very well as a cop. You've got what my Gran used to call gumption, and I expect your arrest records and your promotions to be numerous and headline makers, but for now, you gotta start where we all started."_

 _Danny learned a lot from Rick - how to be a cop and how not to be a cop. Rick needed to take some of his own advice and keep his nose clean, but he didn't and just after Danny's promotion to Detective, his next big headline was making the arrest of his own partner._

 _But that wasn't the case that, at night, Danny would piece through and study. No, the case that he was assigned as soon as he was placed with homicide was the case that had caught his attention months, even years earlier. It was a case that was infamous, and even though Danny had found himself in a newly minted relationship - as well as career path - well he also found himself well versed and completely prepared to add his knowledge to a case with it's fingers in so many different pies - drugs, prostitution, murder for hire - it all came down to this._

 _A crime family, tightly knit and lip locked. They kept everything within their ranks. From fathers to sons and down the generations. You didn't get in, and you never got out, because these people knew better than to trust anyone outside of their own family. You always were a part of the family business and the Pelagio family was huge - and they flaunted it. There was no way to get an undercover into the family - if you weren't blood, you were the enemy, and with enough siblings and cousins, nieces and nephews, and a patriarchal gathering of five eldest brothers, they covered each others backs. The women were even in on it, but on the other side of the business - the side that seemed legitimate. They made money in fashion, music, art, the works. They owned restaurants and theatres, supermarkets and even a ferry line. The money came in from all avenues, on both the men's and the women's sides of the business, and went into the accounts, but there was no way to get in there and see because, again, if you weren't family then you didn't have a job - but if you wanted to spend your money then you were welcomed with open arms._

 _It was a monopoly on a generational scale, and even though it looked clean, everyone knew it was dirty - they just couldn't get close enough to prove it._


	2. A Cup Of Tea

**_A/N: I think two chapters to start a story if as good a place as any, just to get people hooked._**

Chapter 2: A Cup Of Tea

"Who is that?" Steve asked as he looked over Danny's head and straight at the sight of an older woman who had strut into the office as if she owned the place, causing much discomfort to the poor officer who was showing her the way.

Danny turns and then ducks down.

"What?" Steve asked as he watched his partner slip out of sight.

"It's Rachel's mother," Danny stated, "Pretend I'm not here." he added and crawled into a corner under the windows.

"She's talking to Chin." Steve stated and stood. "She's coming this way. Chin looks shocked. Make it look like your looking for something in that filing cabinet because here she comes."

"Danny, you're needed," Chin stated as he looked down and Rachel's mother peeked around him.

"Eliza, what are you doing here?" Danny asked as he stood and shot his partner an angry glare.

"You haven't heard?" Eliza asked, her accent thick with British charm and emotional stress.

"Heard what?" Danny asked as he suddenly became serious.

"I thought you were the top of the law here Daniel, how do you not know, how could you not be told?" Eliza stated with tears in her eyes. "Rachel and Stanley are dead!"

"What do you mean they're dead?" Danny gasped.

"I mean they were murdered," Eliza stated. "Shouldn't you know these things? You are the law - aren't you?" She asked indignantly.

"I don't have my finger in all of the HPD pies, if that's what you're asking." Danny stated just as indignantly. "Furthermore, if I wasn't called for Rachel and Stan it means I've been removed from any emergency contact informations pertaining to them, and as we are once again at odd with each other, I'm not surprised. My only concern is Grace and Charlie - why should I have any responsibility over that family?"

"Look Daniel, I know we've never gotten along, but my daughter, the mother of your children, is dead and I've not slept because of the trauma. I flew all night to get here and the only informations that your police department will give me is that it is an open investigations and I need to take action to make sure that Charlie is safe in hospital and Grace is safe with you. I came here to get answers. I came here to get your help." Eliza pleaded as she held tightly to her handbag.

The shock of the news was enough to throw Danny's mind into a spin, but the behaviour of his ex-mother-in-law was so out of character for the tight lipped British woman that the ground felt like it was about ready to fall out from under him.

"Forgive Me, Eliza, this is my partner Steven McGarrett," Danny said with a shake of his head. "Steve, this is Mrs. Eliza Westbrook. She is my ex-mother-in-law."

"Pleasure to meet you Ma'am." Steve said with a slight bow.

"I'm sure under other circumstances it would be," Eliza retorted.

"Steve, can you get us jurisdiction on this case? Find out what is going on and what they are not telling Mrs. Westbrook." Danny asked after a long silence was spent in staring at the woman before him and her gaze, and discomfort, cut him right to his core.

"I'll make some calls," Steve stated.

"Come, I want you to tell me everything," Danny stated as he showed Eliza the door to try to get her alone in his office rather then standing in Steve's doorway for the whole office to hear.

"I'm not one of your suspects Daniel!" Eliza snapped.

"No, you're not, and I'm only trying to give you a place to sit down and some privacy if you'll just follow me to my office so that we might give my boss a chance to make his phone calls." Danny said as politely as he could muster.

"I'm sorry. It's been a very trying several hours," Eliza said and obediently followed.

"How long have you known?" Danny asked as he shut his door and instinctively motioned to the chair before his desk so that his visitor could take a seat.

"I've lost track of the time, to be completely honest. We got the call some time Saturday, I think, Honolulu time. Which was the dead of the night for us and I was told to come as soon as I could. Needless to say I was on the next flight out of Heathrow and landed here to be escorted to the hospital where I saw my grandson and was give what little details they would give. I dropped your name, and this task force, but they would tell me nothing more and I am not allowed near the house. I've lost a whole day in travel, I don't know up from down, and the only co-operation that I was given from the police was the escort to the Five-O office that I requested to see you."

Danny paced the length of his office as he tried to make sense of the situation.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" Danny asked and considering the circumstances and his own disbelief, it was all he could think of to do.

"Do we really have time for tea?"

"Eliza, what do you want from me? This is the first I've heard of any of this. I can't do anything without information and I doubt that I'll be given much considerations with the circumstances. I may not be her husband anymore, but that doesn't mean that I'm not still involved and now I have to tell my daughter that her mother is dead and the little boy that I'm his real father and that both of the people he thought were his parents are no longer with us. Excuse me if my brain is mush and all I can think of is to offer you tea because God knows you tried damn hard to make me more civilized."

"Tea would be lovely, Daniel," Eliza said softly as she lowered her eyes. "Thank you."

"Excuse me," Danny said with a sigh and practically bowed out of the room leaving the regal lady alone to catch her breath.

5-0

 _"Okay, try this," Danny said as he placed a steaming cup of tea down on the tabled._

 _He was still dressed in his best suit and tie, with his weapon concealed and his badge at his hip._

 _"It's the best yet!" Rachel smiled after a sip of the tea. "You're trying so hard and you're so nervous, Daniel, but they're going to love you, just as I love you."_

 _"I've never been good with the meet the parents day," Danny said with a sigh and sat down across the table from Rachel._

 _"You should have made yourself a cup of tea. It will calm you down."_

 _"I doubt it will do anything to counter act the pot of coffee I had before coming here after work." Danny sighed._

 _He'd been stuck in the precinct all day - in debriefing after debriefing - only to be told they were no closer to a break in the Pelagio investigation than they were the day before. On top of that aggravation, Danny had to deal with the knowledge that he had agreed to the meeting with Rachel's parents for the first time and he knew that they were coming a very long way, with very different expectations, and he wasn't quite sure he'd be able to behave himself. He was just too uncivilized - or so he thought._

 _Rachel sighed. "Is that why you are so jittery? The china rattled all the way in here," she mocked playfully, "but it is a good cup of english tea. I'll give you that."_

 _"At least I can make a cup of tea. Is that going to be enough to make a good first impression with your mother?"_

 _"That tea and that suit might help," Rachel said supportively as she bat her eyes across the table from the man she was sure she'd spend her life with, but whom she knew was not at all what her parents were expecting. "Were you this anxious when I met your parent?" She asked and another giggle escaped her lips before she sipped at her tea once more._

 _"No," Danny answered honestly, "but that meeting was a surprise to both of us. This one has been in the works for months, but we know that your mother has been banking on a break-up since you told her I was a cop."_

 _"She's going to love you as soon as she gets to know you!"_

 _"And put aside the idea that I'll never be a doctor or a lawyer or a politician?"_

 _"One day she'll understand how important your job is." Rachel said as she stood, leaned across the table and pecked him on the cheek. "One day, Daniel, she'll know how much you mean to me and she'll love you and respect you just as I do."_

5-0

"Looks like a home invasion," Steve stated as Danny came out of his office - leaving Eliza alone.

"Do you mind checking it out with Kono and Chin, while I decide what I'm going to do with my ex-mother-in-law and while I get heightened security on Charlie, Grace, and all the places in between?"

"Kono and Chin are already en route."

"Thanks."

"I guess the children have no one else now," Steve said as he watched his partner very carefully.

"How am I going to tell them that?" Danny asked his eyes brimming with tears.

"I don't know, but tell them that we will find out who did this."

"Small consolation," Danny said with a shake of his head. He took a deep breath and carried on across the office common space.

"All right, I'll call you if we find anything. Are you going to be okay?" Steve asked as he turned to follow his partner and the concern was written all over his face.

"Rachel is dead. I'm not ever going to be okay." Danny answered and disappeared into the break room.

The crime scene was worse them he'd anticipated, when Steve had arrived and he, Kono and Chin walked together through it once more.

"This is a mess. It looks like a tornado struck this place," Steve said in shock at the mess that greeted him.

"It gets worse," Chin said with a sigh and lead Steve through the house. "Stanley was found here, at the base of the stairs. He had two gunshot wounds to the chest. Rachel was found at the top of the stairs, but she wasn't shot there. She was dragged there. She was shot in Charlie's room. It's tossed as well and Grace's room faired no better. The beds is shattered, clothing is strewn all over the place, they were looking for something in the bedrooms. HPD found a note in the kitchen. The house was build with a butlers pantry and a delivery system which is hidden within the walls. It stops in the Charlie's room, which would have made feedings easier when he was little and I'm sure would have made life much easier when he is well enough to get out of the hospital. The note was in the little elevator. Unless you knew it was there, you'd never find it."

"Were they after the children?" Steve asked in confusion and shock.

"We think so." Kono answered and lead the way to the kitchen. "The door to the butlers pantry was open. The elevator was fully visible to anyone who would have been wandering around this house. The kitchen is a mess but the pantry is untouched expect for this." Kono said and showed Steve a plastic evidence bag which contained the note.

 _Their blood is on your hands, Detective. Two lives, for two lives. Your debt has not been paid. I will find them, all of them, and then I will come for you. My family for yours, all of them._

"What do you suppose it means?" Kono asked as the colour faded from Steve's face.

"I don't know," Steve said but his voice was horse, "but I believe this is meant for Danny."

5-0

 _"Danny stop, you can't get into this. you have to let it go. One man cannot take out a generations old crime family." Detective Grace Tilwell yelled as an angry and anxious Danny paced and cursed before her._

 _"I will not give this up. I will not be pulled in and manipulated like the rest of this town. I will prove them wrong and see them behind bars!" Danny vowed. "I will not rest until I see my state rid of these people and their corruption and evil. I will make this a safe happy place, I need to, I need it to be safe and clean for my wife and my children. Grace, you have got to have my back on this. You're my partner. Who else am I going to rely on?"_

 _"I've always got your back, Danny, but this is a fools errand and Jersey is safe and comfortable, in some places. You are never going to find a perfectly safe place. You should feel good about getting engaged, and talking about having children. These are good things, but you jumped to conclusions. It's not like you have to rid the whole world of evil before you can contemplate children. You'll never be a father at that rate."_

 _Danny sighed heavily but continued his aggressive pacing._

 _"I know you feel like you're losing this battle, but Danny, you'll never be able to prove that every last member of the Pelagio family are crooks. One or two, maybe, here or there for sure, but you'll never crack them all. Get the younger generations off the street and then wait it out, the old men will eventually die off and that will be the end of the mob family."_

 _"Grace, you don't get it. Taking out the young will be seen as an act of war and they know I'm the detective who just can't let it go."_

 _"You're not the only one, Danny, we've all been on this task-force for a long time, even before you came off the beat. You've breathed new life into this case and this crew, for sure, but we've been out for these guys for ages. Hell, my father was one of the founders of this team."_

 _"And he was killed because of it, and we can't prove it. Doesn't that burn you, Grace, that we can't prove who murdered your father even though we know who did it? We can't avenge your father's death. We can't find the cracks and we should all be looking over our shoulders because we've painted the targets on our backs. I can't think of children or bringing Rachel into this life because I can't have one of my own with a target on my back. So I have to keep fighting for my happiness and safety. I have to find a way because I want a life outside of this task-force and I want justice for the people the Pelagios have hurt."_

 _"You could back out now and be happy." Grace countered.. "Transfer out of this unit, out of this precinct, and into something less mob centred, and settle down with Rachel. Hell, move out of state, start fresh. You can't put your life on hold for these guys."_

 _"I'm not a quitter, Grace, and this is exactly where I've always wanted to be. This is my home. I will go after the big guy. I will get Bartholomew Pelagio and I will see his sons behind bars. I'll personally close his business, end his money laundering, and clean up this state. I will personally see him go down for murder and never, ever, see the outside of a prison. I will do this, with or without you." Danny spat and rushed off, and Grace let him go._


	3. All Lies Lead To The Truth

**_A/N: Sad to say a lot of this chapter is based on personal experiences. I was fetched from class like Grace when my grandfather passed away and in the next chapter the quarantine protocol was what we dealt with when my dad had his stem cell transplant._**

 ** _Sorry it's taken a while for new updates. I've started a new job and school is back in so times are very busy. Lots of planning going on but that should settle down soon. For now enjoy this meagre offering to the FF gods._**

Chapter 3: All Lies Lead To The Truth

Grace Williams was fetched from her classroom by an overly cheerful secretary and that put her on edge from the moment her name was called. The woman was familiar enough when she entered the classroom, called teacher aside and began whispered something to her. The situation was odd to begin with because of the intercom system. If administration wanted to speak to a teacher directly, and it couldn't wait to be sent as an email, then the direct system into the classroom was used. It was then that Grace was called out of class by the teacher and secretary, and she knew the situation was bad.

She was lead through the school without another word and was brought into the Principal's office to find her father and her grandmother standing there, and in that moment she knew something had gone very wrong, why else would Eliza be in Hawaii?

"What happened?" Grace asked and her voice was not much more than a squeak.

"Grace, please come and sit down," Danny said by way of an answer and his voice had nothing of her father in it but tones of the man she knew he could be while on the job. He was trying to compartmentalize the situation. It wasn't working for Grace.

"What Happened?" She screamed.

"Something terrible," Danny whispered downcast.

"No. No. No." Grace panicked shaking her head and grabbing hold of her father, "who?"

"Grace please sit," Danny said and lead his daughter to the sofa.

"Daddy, who?" she sobbed. She never called him Daddy, it was almost too formal and it wasn't their thing. Just the sound of it made him crumble.

"Stanley and your mother." Danny answered as he crumpled and fell to his knees before her. Grace fell forward, off the sofa and into his arms, they sobbed. It was all they could do and Eliza watched.

* * *

 _"Come on Gracie, say dada," Danny cooed as he bounced the baby around the living room of their tiny apartment. "I'm your dada. Say dada."_

 _"Stop pestering her," Rachel giggled as she passed from the kitchen into the living room and fell into the sofa. "It doesn't mean she loves you any less. She's just not ready."_

 _"What it does mean is that I'm not around enough. It means I'm neglecting her. Maybe I should take a pat-leave. Maybe I should take a 9 to 5 desk job."_

 _"Daniel, I'm here day and night with her because that's what mothers do in our situation. I'll be heading back to work very soon too. You've done enough to let me stay off with her. You've made us comfortable and happy. You did that, Daniel, so don't feel like you've done any less than me. You've just done it in a different way. You are providing for us."_

 _"But I'm not here for you."_

 _"Daniel, you are."_

 _"Danno," Grace squeaked._

 _"What did she just say?" Danny gasped as Rachel jumped up from the sofa in excitement._

 _"Did she say it? I didn't quite catch it." Rachel asked. "Say dada, Gracie."_

 _"Did you say dada?" Danny was moved to near tears of joy._

 _"Danno." Gracie echoed._

 _"She's trying to say Daniel." Rachel burst with glee and fits of giggles._

 _"But it's coming out Danno," Danny said and scrunched up his face. "Gracie, I'm you dada. Say dada, Monkey."_

 _"Danno."_

 _"You're not going to win this battle, Danno," Rachel mocked. "She has named you. You will forever be her Danno. Always and forever."_

 _"Dada." Danny said defiantly as he looked deep into his little girls eyes._

 _"Danno," Grace insisted and reached out to grab his face._

 _"All right, you win, but no one else will ever call me that. Not even you, Rachel!"_

* * *

"Give me something good," Steve bellowed as he walked back into the Five-O HQ.

"They kept this from us. They said it was orders for Danny's sake." Chin burst as he came around the smart table. "We can't be a part of it because of Danny, or so they say."

"Couldn't, it's our now, and I don't care who the orders came from." Steve spat. "Who gave the order? What do we know?"

"We know that Dennings knew and gave the order. He knew about this since Saturday morning. Rachel and Stanley were dead Friday evening and they have been working this case since then without us knowing." Kono thundered angrily as she stormed around the office. "Dennings covered this up and kept this from us. He knowingly put Danny and the children in danger by keeping it from us!"

"All lies lead to the truth, I will deal with Dennings, or rather I'll tell Danny and then set him loose on the Governor of Hawaii." Steve commented vengefully. "Please tell me you were able to get something to go on."

"Not much, they let us in to the crime scene, they gave us their notes, but the bodies aren't with Max on purpose." Kono's aggravation with the system was clear but she was trying to keep herself in check.

"I've reached out to some contacts back in Jersey, and on Danny's behalf, but nothing from direct sources, so I called Peter." Chin confessed. "He said he's on the next flight out and he'll bring us everything."

"Peter, Danny's last partner? And what is everything?" Steve asked.

"Did Danny ever mention the Pelagio family to you?" Kono questioned.

"No, why?" Steve shook his head. "Danny doesn't like to talk about the past, or previous cases. We know about some of them but it's like Danny shuts things out once they are over, which is weird because he doesn't let anything else go. Why are the Pelagios important?"

"It was only the biggest, longest, most in depth break down, and take down, Danny ever participated in." Kono stated in shock. "He profiled them for years, even before he was a detective, and Danny cracked that case. Took down a whole crime family."

"So it's strange he never mentioned anything about the Pelagios," Chin added with a shake of his head. "Peter should be here before daybreak tomorrow, but from what I understand, one of the Pelagio sons just got out of prison and hasn't been heard from in days."

"So we have an idea, nothing more, about who did this. Get me everything you can on him. Call in Toast if you need him. Find out what we don't know about the events between Friday night and this morning when Eliza showed up." Steve ordered as he turned away and stormed toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Kono asked and her anxiety had turned to concern.

"I think Danny has something to tell us and it's probably not a good time but we need to know. Also, I think I need a face to face with the Governor. Call Lou, get him up to speed, whatever that is, and find those bodies."

"You got it, boss." The cousins nodded together and jumped into action.


	4. A Single Light

Chapter 4: A Single Light

Eliza, Grace and Danny were locked down on the ward where Charlie was in quarantine. Once the shock had subsided from Grace and Danny, the family moved on to the little boy. The protective detail was already in place and waiting when they arrived at the hospital. The ward was shut down, other patients were investigated and cleared and the whole floor of the hospital, and all it's doctors, nurses, and support staff, were catalogued and given clearance to carry on working. No one was moved out of quarantine, for fear of infections to the patients, but no one else was allowed onto the floor.

Danny was the first to visit the little boy, and once again the emotions were much more than Danny had prepared himself for. This job was always hard, telling families about tragedies was part of the job, but there was something unfathomable about saying it to your own people.

The doctor was present with Danny to try and keep the child as calm as possible, but the news for the three year old was more than he could comprehend. Eliza went in next, to try and console Charlie and take some of the burden from the distraught Danny. He left the room and went back to the waiting area where Grace had been seated with a bunch of familiar cops, but no one familiar enough to help with her fears and anxiety.

"What are we going to do, Danno?" Grace asked softly when Danny returned. He stopped abruptly, turned around and fell into the car that was nearest Grace and sighed heavily.

"I don't know,"he answered with a shake of his head. He rubbed his eyes and became very fidgety. "I don't know." he repeated as he looked at her and his heart broke all over again.

"Who did this? Why are they after mommy and Stan?"

"I don't know," Danny answered with another shake of his head. "I don't know why anyone would go after them."

"Because you always thought they would come after you," Grace whispered and tangled her arms through her father's.

"Yes," he admitted emotionally as he kissed her head, "and I'm not exactly sure that this isn't about me."

"Uncle Steve will fix it," Grace nudged Danny as she noticed Steve round the corner and his booming voice shouted ordered through the ward.

"He doesn't look, or sound, happy," Danny grumbled. "Go get dressed and join your brother in the quarantine room. I'll deal with Uncle Steve."

"He's got to help us, right? He'll find who did this to mom and Stan."

"I'm sure he wont stop until he's turned this island upside down."

Steve stopped in the doorway of the waiting room, which was guarded by SWAT men, and hugged Grace before she moved passed him and to the nurse's station so that the nurse could help her dress for the quarantine room. Danny and Steve remained silent until she'd safely joined her grandmother and brother.

"We need to talk," Steve broke the silence first. "You've been holding out on me, hiding things from me."

"So this is about me then?"

Steve nodded and watched his partner fall apart again. He waited a long time, letting Danny deal in his own way before he opened his mouth once more. "You need to tell me everything about the Pelagios."

Danny shook his head, "I was young. I was trying to make a name for myself, and I became obsessed. You wont have to look far to know that it was the case that made me who I was and when it was over, it was never supposed to be over, but when it actually ended, it took a lot of time for me to figure out who I was going to be without it."

"Who is Izidoro Pelagio?" Steve asked.

"He is the middle child, the weak link. He's how we caught them all."

"He got out of prison."

"Sounds about right, as per the deal he made. I understand he's been a model prisoner."

"He's been AWAL since he got out."

"And you think Izzy is the murderer?" Danny asked in shock. "No, Izzy isn't the type. Not the man I knew."

"He's our only lead, idea, whatever at this point. Things are not looking optimistic for us. We're being stonewalled."

"Why do you think this is about the Pelagio Family?"

"Because this was left at Stan and Rachel's house," Steve answered and pulled a photocopy of the evidence letter from one of the pockets of his cargo pants. He handed it to Danny and for a long moment he watched as Danny read it. "Sound familiar to you?"

"It's for me. If you cross it with his signed confession you'll likely match it to Izzy. He's the guy but he didn't do this alone, he couldn't have."

"Peter is on his way here."

"Peter Verardo?" Danny asked in shock.

"Yes, he's the only one co-operating with us on this case. We were never supposed to get involved but HPD has taken too long to lock it down and Eliza showed up to foil their plans. Now it's on our radar and I'm going to get us on this."

"What do you mean?

"Dennings knew about this when it happened. We've been told he heard about it Saturday, but I don't think that's the case. He knew Friday night. Now come on, we have a meeting you're not going to want to miss."

"You're damn right I don't!" Danny stated angrily as he jumped out of his seat.

5-0

 _"Detective Williams, I come in peace," Bartholomew Pelagio said, his hands out before him as he stepped out of the shadows and into the light of a single street lamp. "I'm alone and unarmed. I just want to have a little chat." he added as he watched Danny instinctively reach for his service weapon._

 _"It's a small consolation, seeing as you know where I live." Danny relaxed only slightly as Bartholomew looked up at the apartment building._

 _"I know so much more than that, Daniel, but my intimidation tactics have never worked on you."_

 _"You likely know where my great grandparents are buried. I figured you would. I know everything there is to know about you too. I just can't prove it."_

 _"Come, walk with me, and we'll have a little chat about all the things we know. We wont disturb Rachel and it's a nice night to enjoy our freedom."_

 _"Freedom you've enjoyed for far too long."_

 _"And you've lost sight of it in your obsession with me and my family."_

 _"Then you know we're closer than we've ever been."_

 _Bartholomew nodded slowly, "but that isn't why I'm here. I want to talk to you about Izzy."_

 _"Izzy loves to talk."_

 _"Izzy is a middle child and feels he is starved for affection. Izzy acts out, even though Izzy and my first son are ten years apart, Izzy still sees himself as the quintessential middle child and the world is against him."_

 _"And your youngest?"_

 _"Two years Izzy's junior. They are much closer in age, but she's a girl and Izzy resents that as well."_

 _"Izzy's in a lot of trouble, Bart."_

 _"That is why I'm here," Bartholomew sighed. "I'd made a place for Izzy, groomed him as was our way and made him a place within everything that his grandfather and great grandfather had built for us, but Izzy acted out. He didn't want a place, he wanted a throne, but kingdoms fall."_

 _"And you have a very democratic system."_

 _"I wouldn't say that, but it is certainly capitalist."_

 _"Take the mob and make it a business," Danny huffed as he pulled up the collar of his coat._

 _"It's always been a business and those who lose sight of that lose their business." Bartholomew waxed philosophically. "You should have worn a scarf, Daniel."_

 _"I wasn't planning on walking about tonight, Bartholomew."_

 _"Plans change so unexpectedly sometimes."_

 _"So, what do you want? You know that I'll never sell out."_

 _"I'll give you me, if you go easy on my boy."_

 _"But why if he's such a burden on your business?"_

 _"Because he's my son and as one father to another, or rather soon to be, wouldn't you do anything for your child." Bart asked. "Once you have them, life changes, Daniel. If I can give you one piece of advice, it would be to find a way to find yourself again before that baby is born. And I'm not speaking on behalf of my business."_

 _Danny nodded his understanding._

 _"It will be the break you need. Me. It will still be a long road but you will be on the right path and no longer two steps behind." Bart explained. "I'm giving you a rare gift, but just because you have me and a confession doesn't mean you have my brothers. You'll have a start. A beginning to the end. All I ask is that you find a way to go easy on my son."_

 _"I can't just let him go, Bart." Danny said honestly looking to the man who walked beside him and who seemed to be giving Danny the in he needed. "Izzy has done horrible things."_

 _"I understand that, and I believe he needs help. What he had done to children will follow him forever, but has he killed anyone?" Bart asked._

 _"Child pornography is a serious offence," Danny spat. "And Violent Crimes is looking to pin more than just pornography on him. Tell me something, do you believe him capable of forcing himself on those children?"_

 _"The devil is in that boy," Bartholomew answered with a nod. "But he's also very smart and I've taught him well. You won't find evidence of his acts with won't be any of those pictures of videos with the children, but the devil is at work within him."_

 _"You're involved in human trafficking, how are you any better?" Danny accused and there was disgust in his voice._

 _"Prostitution of women over twenty-one, and men for that matter. But only adults and we run the business much differently than anyone else. It is much more humane, and I'm telling you, if people took our business plan and the way we protect our workers, it could be a very lucrative business. Tax it and the government would solve a lot of problems with the money they'd make." Bart explained and a part of him pleaded with Danny. "It would just need to be legalized and regulated in the same way we regulate ours. If the government was smart, they could fix the deficits. You'll see, and we never deal in children. It's our policy. Why do you think Izzy has had to look outside of the business for his pursuits?" Bart asked and he could see the wheels turning in Danny's head. "We never scoop them up, but rather help them out of the wrong hands and into the right ones. Yes, we have used force in some cases, but only against those who have held these people captive."_

 _"The George Markwell murder?" Danny asked._

 _"Yes, that is all I will say at this time about that incident." Bart answered._

 _"We were close to that one too. We would have taken him. You could have waited for the police to do their jobs and take him down as the pimp and pedophile that he was." Danny stated angrily. "One less murder on your hands, but you couldn't wait."_

 _"You were taking too long. It was bad for business. And I didn't kill him." Bart countered._

 _"But the family did." Danny accused._

 _"Business is business," Bart reasoned with a shrug. "We saved people in that case. We help them now. They are loyal to us. It's a good business plan, and most of our people are going to college or paying their way in the world. And when they want to get out, when they have the money to find new paths, they go. Of course we make money off of them, there are 'taxes' they pay to us for the comfort and protection of our establishments, but otherwise, they are not brain washed or beaten. It's much better than the prostitution you are thinking of and the men who think they know how to do business."_

 _Danny sighed, "so Izzy wanted to make his own way in the world?"_

 _"And acted out when I told him I disapproved of his methods. We tried to keep this in the family, Daniel, really we did, but Izzy is a stubborn lad and he got himself caught."_

 _"He will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life," Danny said as they walked down the darkened street and the snow started to fall lightly around them._

 _"All I ask is that he not spend the rest of his life in prison, as I will, and that you get him the help to fix him."_

 _"I don't believe that he can be fixed. He can be counselled, he can go into treatment, but we'll never cure him of his tendencies, and it doesn't mean that he wont repeat offend later in life. You can't believe him fixable."_

 _"I don't," Bartholomew shook his head, "but that's my son."_

 _"I'll see what I can do."_

 _"I need something more than that, Daniel, if I'm going to give up and surrender to you."_

 _"Izidoro has already entered a plea deal with the DA, what more can I do for him?"_

 _"What is the deal?"_

 _"If he testifies against his uncles and points out avenues for the laundering of money with in the family, he'll go to a state mental facility for fifteen years and then into rehabilitation from there. He will be registered and monitored for the rest of his life but he will get out."_

 _"It's a good deal."_

 _"Better than twenty-five to life." Danny said with a shrug._

 _"Get him down to ten, with part of that spent in rehabilitation, and I'll confess to the murder of officer Tidwell's father. I didn't do it but I knew about it and was part of the contract for it, so you will have justice for your partner." Bart offered._

 _"You haven't asked why he refuses to testify against you." Danny said as he stopped momentarily and watched the man beside him._

 _"It's because I am his father, and deep down somewhere he respects me. With his uncles out of the way he can stand at my left with his brother on my right."_

 _"He's already given up Angelo." Danny interrupted. "He cares little for his older sibling."_

 _"Given him up for what?" Bart asked indignantly._

 _"Racketeering."_

 _"I can bury that and Angelo will be in prison for less than ten years - if he sees the inside at all."_

 _"But Izzy wants to be your golden child."_

 _"He also knows that will never happen with the devil at work in his mind and soul. He needs help, Daniel, and that is what I've put on the table."_

 _Danny and Bartholomew walked on in silence for a long time until they came back around to the street lamp in front of the apartment._

 _"Do we have a deal?" Bartholomew asked as they stopped._

 _"I'll have a conversation with Izzy. Ultimately he's an adult and has to make his own decisions but I will appeal to him as a father on your behalf."_

 _"He will not accept my help."_

 _"Then what do you want me to do?"_

 _"Get him ten years and rehabilitation. Put him on your lists or whatever, but don't take his whole life from him."_

 _"Fine, but if he gets out and bad things happen, this is on you."_

 _"I will take the blame."_

 _"I feel like I've made a deal with the devil himself," Danny said and shook his head._

 _"I'm no devil, Daniel. This is just the price of business," Bartholomew stated and from his coat pocket he pulled a single key out and handed it to Danny._

 _"What is this?"_

 _"It belongs to a storage container in upstate New York."_

 _"And that's all I get?"_

 _"I'm sure you're smart enough to find it. In it is the murder weapon in the Tidwell case, among other things. I'm just buying myself a little more time. Oh, and if you are interested, my golden child is making her Met debut on Friday night. Maria is fully and completely free of the family business, your investigations will prove that, and her talents alone have made her way in the world. I am proud of her. You should come and hear her sing," Bartholomew Pelagio concluded and disappeared into the shadows leaving Danny standing in the light of a single lamp just in front of the building he called home._


	5. Problem With Authority

**_A/N: Yes, I'm finally getting back around to this story. Please be patient with me, I have a lot of other stories on the go and the Holiday season gets really hectic, but I do plan to do a lot of writing when school is out for the holiday. For now I have concerts and retreats and all manner of teaching things to get through. I'm really sorry it took so long._**

Chapter 5: Problem With Authority

Danny and Steve stormed into the Governors office. It was a buzz of activity but that didn't stop them. Steve pushed his way through the crowd of people, passed the jam packed waiting room, to see the Governor and wasn't stopping even when the secretary jumped in front of him.

"You can't go in there!" She yelled but Steve held her in place while a furious Danny stormed right on through.

"How dare you put my family in danger!" Danny stormed in, passing the people in the office and he grabbed Denning by the shirt. "Friday. You've known since Friday and you've said nothing. Had anything happened to my children, I swear to God, I don't care who you are, I'd kill you."

"You might want to step outside," Steve said to the people in the office.

They fled at the sheer anger in Danny's tone and the door to the office slammed behind them, leaving Danny, Steve and Dennings alone in the space.

"This is why you can't be involved." Dennings stated as he held out his hands in defeat while Danny still had him by the collar. "You will unhand me, Detective, or I'll have you arrested."

"I'll kill you first." Danny threatened and his grip grew tighter.

"You're too close to this." Dennings said.

"Do you know who did this to Rachel and Stanley?" Danny spat in his face, so close that Dennings could feel the hot breath of the seething detective on his skin.

"HPD is working on it." he answered.

"Funny 'cause I know who is responsible and I would have known Friday night had you not been an asshole." Danny accused. "Now he's likely skipped town or has something else up his sleeve, but we're three days behind him. So get on the phone and rectify this situation before I get really angry." Danny yelled and threw the Governor into his desk chair. "Send bodies to Max. Send extra back-up to the hospital and send everything that you have on this case, so far, to Five-O so that we can handle this." He ordered and pulled his weapon from it's place at his hip and aimed it at the Governor of Hawaii.

Steve stood back, his arms crossed over his chest as the Governor looked to him for assistance. Steve shook his head and the Governor grabbed the phone.

"While you're at it, put all airports, and ports, on high alert for a man named Izidoro Pelagio. He was released from prison in Jersey several weeks ago and hasn't been heard from since."

"How would you know this?" Dennings gasped.

"Because he left me a love note and I'm the one who brought down his whole family back in Jersey. Don't you get it, this is all about me and you kept it from me. Smooth move." Danny slammed the copy of the note down onto the desk. "Now get to work and pull your strings because every second you waste is a second I fall farther behind the biggest mob ring I've ever dealt with in my entire career. This guy is out for blood and by holding off on me, you've put my children in even more dangers."

Dennings nodded his understand and dialled a quick sequence of numbers into the phone.

"I told him not to piss you off." Steve whispered to his furious partner as Danny re-holstered his weapon.

"He should have listened to you because he just looks really stupid and unqualified for this high pressure job." Danny spat and walked out of the office. "Let's go."

* * *

 _"Danny, calm down," Rick said with a chuckle on his voice. "You should know better than to go after the higher ups. We're just cops. We just handle our beat and we do it so that people come to know us and respect us. Not to make waves or call out other cops who have been on the force for much longer than you've been alive."_

 _"People gotta learn to change with the times. He's just sore because he doesn't want to see a younger man surpass him." Danny huffed as he sank back into the patrol cruiser._

 _"Well D, if you pass the exam you're studying for, you'll surpass him anyway. He's been trying for years and never made it. He's not smart enough, but you are. So just chill, take it easy and be patient. I know it's hard for you, but you've gotta learn patients as a skill my friend." Rick teased._

 _"He's just jealous." Danny huffed._

 _"Jealous of you smarts, your intuition, your imagination, and your youth. For sure. There is no doubt about that." Rick laughed. "But not your temper. You gotta get that in check. You have to know when its useful and when to let it go, but by all means, when it's needed, you gotta use that fire, D. It will make you intimidating and terrifying, but for now it's just showing off how green you still are. Get it under control and then use it when people don't expect it."_

 _"It's my coping mechanism." Danny joked._

 _"Shut up, D." Rick said with a laugh and a shake of his head._

 _"All jokes aside, you can't honestly back that guy and his notion that he's gonna get us all killed with his hair brained schemes to go after the Pelagio on our own. He'll screw up the investigation by violent crimes and likely get a lot of good men killed." Danny said as he took a deep breath and fiddled with the onboard computer._

 _"Damn right he will, but we aren't gonna let that happen." Rick said with a nod and pulled out into the street. "That's why I broadcast the whole conversation over our radio frequency. He'll be called on his ignorance and I'll be told to tell you to check that temper. But all the right people heard it, D, and just you wait and see what happens. He'll get what's coming to him." Rick winked and checked his watch. "What's for lunch over at Mamma William's house today?" he asked with a smile._

 _"Rick, seriously, dude? You can't just show up at my mother's house every day just because you expect a home cooked meal!" Danny protested._

 _"Oh yes I can. Have you met your mother? All I gotta do is bring around her favourite son and we're treated like kings!"_

 _Danny shook his head._

 _"It's Friday right?" Rick said with a smirk. "Mamma's likely got a brand new pot of bolognese on the stove and an over full of meatballs! That woman is like clockwork!"_

 _"I don't know what is worse, that you know my mother's routine or that you are a giant mooch." Danny said with a sigh. "But we're halfway there now."_

 _"Thatta boy D!" Rick said with a laugh. "Bottle that temper up. You gotta pick your battles - the ones you can win. And watch closely to the ones you can't until you've got enough to know that you can. It's all about timing." Rick explained bringing his point back around as they pulled up the street Danny grew up on. "Now don't you think you need a little mothering after that morning encounter?"_

 _"If you say so, Rick." Danny relented._

 _"'Cause I could sure go for a hot sandwich drenched in your mother's famous bolognese sauce." Rick said and took a deep breath. "I can smell it already!"_

* * *

"What did you do?" Chin asked as Danny and Steve reappeared in the bullpen.

"Danny threatened Dennings at gunpoint." Steve spoke as if he were a child and a tattletale.

"Probably shouldn't have done that, but it worked and I've always had an issue with authority." Danny confessed.

"What do we have?" Steve asked.

"Access to everything," Chin answered in near shock. "It all came in, in one felled swoop."

"And the full immunity and means to catch this guy and protect the kids and Mrs. Westbrook." Kono added.

"Where are the bodies?"

"With Max, and Charlie Fong is on our evidence now." Lou Grover continued as he joined the members of Five-O in the bullpen.

"And Toast?" Steve asked making sure that all of his players were well used.

"I'm here!" A voice came from under the computer table.

"What do you have?" Danny asked as he looked under the table and there sitting crosslegged was the hacker.

"I'm working my way into the Jersey archives but I have to scramble my IP address and yours so that they can't trace me or you while I hack their files."

"But my old partner is bringing all my files from the case," Danny said in confusion, "and we have chairs and tables for you to sit at."

"Scruffy minds, Detective," was Toast's response. "And you've been out of Jersey for nearly ten years, and off that case for even longer. There has to be new information and I'm going to get you into that loop."

"Thank you Toast."

"Not a problem, Jersey."

"But what about the hear and now?" Steve asked impatiently.

"Oh, that is handled." Toast stated as he crawled out and jumped into a standing posture. "I have all cameras on the island running facial recognition, including all security cameras at the hospital, on Izidoro. And a program sweeping the channels going back from the present to the time of his prison release. I'm going to try and hack the system in Jersey but that's a little long distance and may take a while. I'd like to place him every step of the way, if I can, but for now we've pegged this week, at Honolulu International Airport. Is that your guy?" he asked and pointed as the images started to appear on screens all around the room.

"Yes," Danny nodded as the image of a man in a group of people showed his progress through the airport.

"Do you know his traveling companions?" Steve asked.

"I recognize these two, but no one else." Danny answered and circled the men on the screen. "One is Frankie Agnoli, he's a goon for hire, and the other is Mick Miller. He used to run with Izzy back when he was on the outs. Mick is on the sex offenders registry as well but none of them are in the Pelagio family except Izzy."

"We have names. Get to work finding the men." Steve ordered and then steered his partner into his office. "Keep up the good work!" He added and slammed the door behind them. "So what's the plan Danno?" Steve asked once they were alone.

"I really shouldn't be here." Danny said nervously and ran his hands through his hair. "I should be with my family and you should look at this as objectively as possible. I can't. I can't guarantee that I can think straight or stay focused when I know my children are not with me. Rachel is dead. I wasn't prepared for that or for threats against my family. Being away from them now is killing me. I need eyes on them, my eyes, and I need to protect them. I need to go back to the hospital and wait this out and you need to work. Grace is expecting you to fix this."

Steve nodded his understanding

"Good, you'll have Peter when he gets here and you have all the access and excuses you need. I have faith in you and I know you'll keep me in the loop." Danny said as he nervously rang his hands together. "I need to be with my kids."


	6. I Told You So

Chapter 6: I Told You So

Danny returned to the hospital under armed guard. He made his way up to the secured ward and found Eliza in the waiting room with Grace - Charlie was sleeping.

"Any news?" Eliza asked as he appeared.

Danny shook his head and began to pace. It was a pacing that Eliza Westbrook had seen before, once, when Grace was born and Rachel had been taken for tests for fear of complications. It was the pacing of a nervous, anxious, frightened man.

Grace also knew the pacing well and saw in it something that she did recognize, something that maybe her Grandmother didn't.

Each time Danny would come back across the room he would look from Eliza to Grace and then, as if he wanted to speak his mind, he'd pause. It was slight but it was there and then he would think the better of it and would carry on.

To Grace this meant only one thing, her father was itching to say something but wasn't going to do it as long as she was in the room. He shook his head in reply to her grandmother's question. He did have news, it was likely bad news, and it was news that he didn't want her to hear. Grace let the pacing and struggling continue for a few more passes, gauging whether or not he would say anything, but when it didn't happen she spoke to break the silence.

"I'm hungry." She said softly. It was audible but it was somewhat under her breath and it took both of the adult by surprise.

"No wonder, it's well past your usual dinner time." Danny said as he looked at the clock on the wall.

"What should we do?" Eliza asked from her seat.

"We could go home. I have guards enough to stay here but Charlie may wake up and want someone familiar around. Or we could send out for food and have it delivered." Danny said thoughtfully but without really thinking.

"Or I could go down to the cafeteria, if you're not hungry." Grace added.

"I don't want you going off alone." Danny said with another shake of his head.

"I'll take two of the officers with me and we wont leave the hospital." Grace said thoughtfully.

"I could go with her," Eliza offered.

"No, you stay. I think Danno has something to say but it wont be with me around. So I'll go with the guard and you two have your grown up chat." Grace said as she called out her father and he looked at her in shock.

"Here," Danny said as he pulled his wallet from his pocket and handed his daughter money for food. "Bring back the change and try to pick something slightly healthy. And take Burges and Kraft." he added and motioned to two of the SWAT officers. "You remember them from Steve's Christmas party, don't you?"

"Yeah, I beat them in poker, and Burges told me she's the only lady SWAT and I think that's so cool." Grace said in reply.

"Don't get any ideas, Grace. You do not need to be a SWAT officer when you grow up." Danny warned. "Maybe you should buy them a cup of coffee as well and bring some back for us." He added as he handed a couple more bills to his daughter. "Give me twenty minutes alone with your Grandmother and then come right back. Do you understand?"

"Yes Sir."

"Okay, go," Danny was hesitant but sighed and followed his daughter to the door.

The two familiar officers were summoned and obligingly took Grace into their protections. They disappeared down the hall before Danny turned back to Eliza.

"So you do have news?" Eliza asked when Danny finally turned away from the door.

"I do," Danny nodded, "but it's not good."

"It had to do with you, doesn't it? Your job has caught up to you and my daughter and her husband are the collateral damage. The children are in danger, aren't they?" she asked with tears in her eyes.

"Yes." Danny answered and turned his gaze away.

Eliza shook her head. "So what is to be done now?"

"Five-O is the best team on the island and they are working on it. My partner from New Jersey is on his way and we are pretty sure we know who did this. The why is another question all together."

"You didn't answer my question."

"What is to be done?" Danny asked as he began his pacing once more. "Nothing. We sit here. We protect and comfort the children and when the nightmare is over we figure out what to do next. For now we wait while Five-O does their job."

"You're not going to help them?" Eliza asked in shock. "You are Five-O. This is your job!"

"I can't be objective right now and so I would be a detriment to the investigation." Danny answered.

"I've never known you to give up like this," Eliza huffed almost angrily. "You are dedicated to the point of ruthlessness. Why give up now when your family is at stake?"

"Ruthlessness is what got me into this mess." Danny answered and ran his hands through his hair as he took deep breaths to keep himself in a relatively calm state.

"Ruthlessness should be what gets us out of this. We may not see eye to eye on much, Daniel, but I cannot deny that you are good police. An excellent Detective. I've followed your work, even after the divorce. You are where you are because of your accomplishments. It terrifies me that you would take yourself out of this equation. The only person, in my opinion, who can save us is you." Eliza spoke in a way Danny had never hear, or ever anticipated hearing from this woman who historically seemed to hate him.

"I am good police," Danny nodded. "Sworn to serve and protect. To clean up and keep the peace but sometimes that is misconstrued by people committing crimes and that makes enemies. My job now is to protect what is left and that is you, Grace, and Charlie. The team will solve this. The best police are on the job. Men and women I trust with much more than just my life. You need to trust me when I say that they are to be trusted." Danny said with tears in his eyes. "Please understand that I never meant for this to happen and that I feel responsible for all of it. The only people I can turn to are my team. My job now is to protect my family. I am armed. I am ready and should this man, whom I know from my past, show up here; should he make it past my guards, I will be the last line of defence. I will fight to the death to save you and the children. That is why I am here. I am not here to give up. I am here to be the wall between you and the evil in this world. I am good police, Eliza, and by being that police, I will protect you."

"Could it come to that?" Eliza asked fearfully.

"I cannot predict what goes on in the minds of mad men. If I could be certain of your safety I would transfer you and the children off the island but I can't be sure that we are not being watched and as you came in search of me, I'm sure that has put you in danger of being associated with me. I have to now keep you as near as I can or risk everything." Danny answered.

Eliza fell silent.

"You can say it. I'm a big boy. I can handle it." Danny said as he took a deep breath. "I know you want to and have been holding it against me since the day your met me. So go, say what you have to say."

"My daughter is dead, and I warned her this would happen. Police are not meant to have families but she wouldn't listen until it was too late and even then, after she got out, she was still stuck with you." Eliza burst with emotions. "This is all your fault! I told you it would be!"

"Why should I not want what other people have?" Danny asked as he checked his own emotion and calmly asked the livid woman before him the common and all encompassing question. "Why should we, as officers, who uphold the law, not have life outside of the job? I'm a good father. I was a devoted husband. I wanted to be an officer of the law to build a city that was safe and sound for my family. I do deserve what I have, and you are of too small a mind to see the merit in it."

"This is why, Daniel. This situation and nightmare is why!"

"This will be rectified, and then we will carry on this conversation of blame, and I'll take it all." Danny confessed. "But I will not accept your ideas. They are old and they are false, and I may never prove it to you, but I am their father and I will protect my children."

* * *

 _Danny shook with rage in the hallway of his own apartment. He'd come home early, with good news about the case breaks made in all avenues. It had been an all around good day and then he came home to arguing voices and he stopped in the hall and caught the subject of the heated discussion. It was all about him._

 _Rachel's mother was back in town and here she was in his home, the home he was building for himself and his now pregnant wife, and her mother was abusing him with every word that dripped from her lips._

 _"You know better!" she'd yelled. "And now you're having his child? You're stuck, Rachel. Stuck forever with this poor man who will never be anything more than the target of retaliation."_

 _"I love him. He is good and you have no right to say the things you are saying. How dare you?" Rachel had defended him but her mother carried on._

 _"He will bring the work home, Rachel, and here's how it will be. You will be terrified of the man he's become because of the threats he receives. You will have no peace while he is out on the job and when he comes home he will have nothing but darkness that haunts him. The cases will never end. New bad and evil creatures will come into his path and he will hardly make enough to compensate the mental strain that you will be under. He will kill you, Rachel. I warn you now, and if he doesn't it's only a matter of time before one of his villains comes after you instead. Leave him, Rachel. Take the baby and come with me and we will fight this together from home. I will not see you fall prey to the demons of that man's profession."_

 _"That is quite enough. Get out of my house!" Danny yelled as he stormed in unable to take the verbal berating any longer. "You will leave my house. You will seise and desist, madame. And you will never come back."_

 _"Daniel," Rachel cried as she watched the fury grow in both of the people before her._

 _"Come, Rachel, we're leaving." her mother ordered._

 _"She'd wrong, Rachel." Danny protested. "I can protect you. I am doing this for you. We will be safe together."_

 _"I'm not leaving my husband, mother." Rachel said as she stepped between them._

 _"Mark my words, you will live to regret this." Eliza hissed in a venomous way that exaggerated the severity of the situation. "And when that day comes you will have no one to blame but yourselves!" Eliza spat and stormed out._

 _"That will not be the end of it." Rachel said as she began to sob._

 _"She's wrong, Rachel. I will protect you to my dying breath. As long as we are together we are stronger than that."_

 _"I have no doubt, Daniel, but there will never be peace for you."_

 _"I don't need anything else but you and our children. This is my peace." he said as he enveloped her in his arms. "I'm so sorry I lost my temper."_

 _"You had every right. She was being horrible." Rachel sighed and dried her tears. "How much of that did you stand before you burst in?"_

 _"Enough," Danny sighed. "I came home early."_

 _Rachel placed her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around him, and let out an anguished filled sob._

 _"I'm sorry, then, that your parents will never approve of me."_

 _"I don't need their approval, and one day they will see that." Rachel said into his neck._

 _"I'd welcome that day graciously." Danny whispered and swayed with his wife to sooth her._

 _"It will be a long struggle to get there but we will." Rachel said optimistically._

 _"But what if it doesn't?" Danny asked softly. "Can you be happy knowing how thing are?"_

 _"I will learn to accept it. I love you and I want to make a life with you. I have chosen you. They are the ones who need to accept it."_


	7. Break Down

**_A/N: Happy New Year. I know I'm a little late, it's been crazy, but here are some new chapters for you!_**

Chapter 7: Break Down

Night fell in Hawaii without much progress. Toast was camped out in the office running programs and algorithms all while trying to triangulate Izzy's whereabouts on the island. Chin and Kono moved slowly between the office, the crime scene and the lab. Danny's nephew was brought up to speed and told where to find his uncle but Eric decided to stay on the job for as long as possible to help out his uncle. Steve and Lou followed up on the one, and only, lead that they managed to pull together. Izzy, Mick and Frankie had arrived on the island using fake everythings, but facial recognition matched them to ID taken at the airport. Onto of that, Toast was able to collate the people traveling in Izzy's entourage. Six people in total had arrived on a flight from Florida. They'd likely made their way down the eastern seaboard, inconspicuously, in vehicles - staying off toll highways and making their way away from Jersey. Toast flagged all the fake IDs and managed to get the address of a hotel where one of the aliases was used to book a room Steve and Lou were now en-route to that hotel.

"You ever work a case like this back in Chicago?" Steve asked as they drove toward their destination.

"Murder cases like this are a dime a dozen back there." Lou said with a sigh. "They don't usually turn out well. All they do is haunt you to the end of your days."

"No, I mean like Danny's. Big mob case." Steve corrected. "I saw a lot of things in battle scenarios. So many more in intelligence and yet that was war. You know. Good and evil. Right and wrong. Or at least you think so. I don't pretend to know what makes an arms dealer tick or how a civilian can be talked into a bomb vest but mobs are different. And not like the gangs we have here. I mean the old deeply rooted civilian mobs and whole families caught up in it."

"Sure those kinds of families made their way all over the country. New York, New Jersey, Boston, Chicago. It was migration and territory at first and then they stake their claims." Lou explained. "But I'm a cops cop McGarrett. I was SWAT there and SWAT here. I came, not to be a detective and I never put myself out there for that. You made me an offer I couldn't refuse with Five-O." He added and the tone of the old movie mobsters with was in his voice. "Not like I had much of a choice and I do appreciate it, really, I do, but this wasn't my scene either and I hear horror stories just like this one." He said with a shake of his head. "I've been on those front lines after months and years of building a case. I come in to clean up, but those detectives lost parts of their souls to those families. And now, hell, the games has change. The mob was far more civilized. Gang lords, they are just messy and violent, nowhere near as smart but they can get a lot more bloody."

"This is going to get bloody before it gets better." Steve commented.

"Oh you are damn right on that count." Lou agreed as he instinctively check the straps of his vest. "Because this kid is new school. He'd out for revenge. He ain't no mob boss and he ain't no gangbanger. He's somewhere in between, and that is an evolution I don't even want to think about."

5-0

 _"Danny, why aren't you smiling?" Grace asked as she leaned on his desk._

 _She's found her partner with his head buried in his hands. His desk was spotless, organized, not a file or folder to be found. His phone was silent, but that's because he'd ripped it from the wall socket. Something was very wrong. "You okay, D?" She asked with concern in her voice as she moved to sit on the corner of his desk. "Come on Danny, talk to me. You're scaring me now."_

 _"I just don't know who I am anymore." Danny confessed as he raised his head. His eyes were dark and bloodshot. His face was twisted and old. He didn't even look like the young man that he truly was._

 _"What do you mean?" Grace asked in shock. "You're the great Detective Williams. You took down the Pelagio family. You're ruthless. Every elite force in the country wants you. Hell, the FBI wanna take you for dinner and make you a director. You're a law enforcement God!"_

 _"I'm just a guy from New Jersey." Danny yelled as he covered his ears with his hands and stood up so violently that his chair went flying. "Just a guys doing his job."_

 _"Okay. Okay, you're just a guy." Grace said as she threw her hands out in a gesture of surrender._

 _"What do I do now?" Danny asked as he stood like a child before her shaking. "I did what people said was impossible but I didn't believe them. I dedicated my life, my waking hours, my breath to this case and now it's over and what am I? Just a guy. Just move on to the next case. Just redefine? I'm struggling in a world where my wife is unhappy. I haven't been around for any of the baby stuff, and I look over my shoulder all the time because Bartholomew Pelagio can't possibly be behind bars."_

 _"You need another case." Grace said. "You need to get right back on the horse. How about some drug smuggling. Come on, this is 2010, and we have a pretty solid lead. It could even take us into NYC."_

 _"How?" Danny asked with a shake of his head to clear it. "How am I supposed to do that with such high expectations from everyone? How when my superiors want me leading task forces or joining the FBI. How will they allow it?"_

 _"Daniel, you have to do what is right for you. They can't force you into anything. If you want to stay here in violent crimes then let's stay and get back to work." Grace said and dropped a file onto his desk. "How about the Water Front Gang."_

 _"A piddly little gang cases? Serial murders? I feel like all I've ever known was the Pelagio case. I should be right back in a patrol car because I don't know what's going on anymore." He said as he backed himself into a corner and slid down the wall until his chin rested on his knees and he wrapped himself into a tight little knot in the corner._

 _"Maybe you need a break." Grace offered._

 _"Because I'm having a breakdown?" He sobbed. "I'm losing my mind."_

 _"No Daniel," Grace said as she stood and sighed. "But you do need help that I just can't give you. I'll be here when you're ready. I'll work this case until you come around. Just keep it in mind." She finished, scooped the file off Danny's desk and turned to leave._

 _"Leave the file." Danny whispered._

 _"And give you all the credit? Hell No." Grace answered cheekily. "Come and get it, when you're ready."_

5-0

"That's the place." Lou said as he and Steve pulled up to the run down motel. It was so far off the beaten path and away from the tourist centres of the island that it was no wonder fugitives would have chosen it.

"We don't want to draw too much attention to ourselves. We'll check at the front desk first." Steve offered as he got out of his truck and walked around it to meet up with Lou.

The front desk was located in little more than a shake, in the middle of two long rows of units. A young girl had spread her homework out across the desk and didn't look up until the two men were standing right in front of her.

"Do you work here?" Steve asked as he looked around.

"You see anyone else in this place?" The girl asked and then realizing who was before her she continued. "My parents run this joint. They trust me to help out."

"We're Five-O. We would like to talk to your parents." Steve retorted.

"I know who you are." The girl sassed back. "My parents have the night off. They ain't here. So how can I help you?" She asked sarcastically sweetly.

"Have you seen these men?" Lou asked as he spread printed photos out before Steve could lose his temper with the minor.

"Sure," The girl nodded. "They booked up the whole east wing but they are gone now. Left this morning."

"Are you sure?" Steve asked.

"They left before my bus picked me up for school, so yeah, I'm sure. Bunch of creepers if you ask me. I didn't like the way this one looked at me." She added and pushed the photo of Izzy close to Lou and Steve. "I'm glad he's gone."

"They didn't by chance say where they were going, did they?" Lou asked.

"Not to me. I wasn't working but my dad will be back in the morning."

"Have their rooms been cleaned all ready?" Steve asked.

"Of course!" The girl spat. "We may not be the Hilton but we know how to keep a clean room."

"I didn't mean any offence. They are wanted for questioning in an investigation. We just want to know if there was anything left in the rooms." Steve explained.

"They gave me such a bad vibe." The girl said fearfully. "I'm sorry I snapped. I can show you where they stayed but the rooms have been cleaned so you likely won't find anything."

"It's all right. I'm sure if there was anything out of place your parents would have already called the police." Steve said more gently now. "We'll come back around in the morning to talk with your folks but if anything happens between then and now, or if you remember anything about those guys, you call me directly." He added and wrote his number on the back of his business card.

"Commander McGarrett," the girl called as the two men turned to walk away. "These guys are really bad aren't they."

"Yes, really, really bad." Steve answered. "If they come back, which they probably won't 'cause they know we're looking for them, but if they do you get yourself to safety and call. Do not let yourself be alone with them. They are that kind of bad."

The girl swallowed hard and Steve could tell she was now terrified.

"Where are your parents?" He asked softly.

"They went out for date night. There are no tenants in the hotel so they left me home with my siblings." She answered.

"Would you like us to send some officers out here just to be safe?" Lou asked his parental instincts kicking in.

"Yes please, sir. And can you stay until they get here?"

"Yes, I'll check out those rooms after all." Steve said with a wink and Lou made the call. "And you can introduce Lou to your siblings."


	8. Protection

Chapter 8: Protection.

Steve walked into the dark hospital with the shift change and the rotation of the guards that were there to take care of Danny and his family. They'd found nothing out of the ordinary at the hotel but Steve was beginning to feel why Danny had thrown himself into the Pelagio case to begin with. The fear that the little girl had exhibited was an instinctual reaction to people who were out to do only bad things. Danny was out to protect people. That was who he was and always would be. He didn't hide that part of himself and Steve couldn't be angry at his partner because the bottom line for Danny was protection and that was clear from day one. No secrets between partners in that regard.

Steve found his partner after going through the security check and moving through the crowds of officers. In the waiting room Grace had been tucked into a darkened corner to sleep. Eliza was awake but silent. She stared at an open book but wasn't reading. She was just too disoriented to do anything. As for Danny, he paced and jumped when he was snapped out of his thoughts by Steve's appearance.

"Anything yet?" Danny asked anxiously.

"We've identified the crew that came with Izzy. Well, their aliases at least. Toast is on the digital hunt. We do know of a place where they stayed but they have moved on." Steve explained. "I've left officers with a little girl these because she was scared of Izzy."

Danny nodded his understanding. "That kid was really creepy when I knew him. Why was the girl alone?"

"Her parents own the place and she was left to watch the empty hotel and her siblings. Lou is still with the kids." Steve explained. "Not a great excuse by my standards but she's got supervision now."

"And have you heard from Peter?" Danny asked.

"No, not yet." Steve shook his head. "Kono and Chin spoke with Eric to offer him some protection but he decided to stay and work the case with Charlie."

"So you have nothing." Eliza said as she dropped her book and walked over to them. "How am I supposed to trust this man, Daniel, when he knows about as much as the HPD did this morning?" She asked angrily.

Danny sighed heavily. "Do you want to do the job for him, Eliza?" He asked with a harshness of tone that stunned her. "Perhaps you feel you could do a better job? By all means, go, solve the case for us. Do it yourself because you've always had an opinion about how to do the job, but spend a day on it, seeing what we see, and doing the things that have to be done, and I'm sure you'll shut your mouth." He practically yelled at her.

Eliza huffed, spun around and fled back into the seat she'd been occupying.

"You better go. Get some rest and hit the ground in the morning." Danny said in almost a whisper to his partner.

"If you're not sleeping then I'm not." Steve protested. "Is there anything I can get for you? Food? Clothing?"

Danny shook his head but his eyes said thank you.

"I want to talk through this with you." Steve said as both men took up a pair of seats on the other side of the waiting room from Eliza. "Walk me through the Pelagio case from the beginning."

5-0

 _Danny stood in an interrogation room, face to face with Tommaso Pelagio. He was the youngest of Bartholomew's brothers and the second to last to find his way into custody. Business after business fell once Bartholomew was in custody but Danny wouldn't budge on how he broke the organization._

 _"You know, Detective Williams, many men have come before you from so many different organizations. What makes you so smart?" Tommaso asked darkly as he looked at his hands._

 _Danny shook his head and shrugged. "You boys have gotten sloppy." He answered. "Now, the DEA wants to make a deal with you Tommaso. A reduced sentence, for you last brother. We know he is the one with the weapons contracts. We just want to take him before things get bloody."_

 _"Things need to get bloody to teach you a lesson. No. No deal. I know Bart made a deal for that mischief making son of his but my boys know better than to screw up that badly."_

 _"Your boys are all in custody." Danny said frankly._

 _"That's impossible."_

 _"No," Danny said with a shake of his head. "We nabbed you all at the same time. It was an operation weeks in the planning and went perfectly. Matteo and his son Bernardo are our last big fish."_

 _"And my women?" Tommaso asked._

 _"The IRS are all over the coffee shop and the grocery store. Isabella is in custody with pending charges and your daughter turned over the keys to your office for her freedom. She's gone into witness protection." Danny answered to try and develop some kind of trust with this man._

 _"Julianna wasn't in the business yet." Tommaso said sadly. "Can your people really protect her from my enemies?"_

 _"I understand that Giovanni Machiavelli has a son who has eyes for Julianna."_

 _"You keep that filth away from her!" Tommaso ordered._

 _"Feuding families. With the Pelagios out of the way, what is to stop the Machiavellis from moving in on your racket?" Danny asked._

 _"You'll have your hands full with them next, Detective." Tommaso warned._

 _"Probably, but with Julianna in witness protection I can move her out of the line of fire. She will be protected and she seems very worried about the Machiavelli boy."_

 _"She should be." Tommaso stated. "I'll give you everything I know about the Machiavellis."_

 _"Nah, they aren't my big fish at this time. I'll get them eventually, mark my work. I'll end them too." Danny said forcefully. "But first I have to finish this. I want Matteo."_

 _"I'll give you Matteo, but Bernardo is the ruthless one. He won't go quietly." Tommaso said with a sigh. "But only if you swear to me that you will protect Julianna from the Machiavellis and when you're finished with us, you take them on."_

 _"I can make that my priority." Danny said with a nod._

 _"Matteo owns an old church down by the river. He converted it into condos with a soup kitchen in the basement. The condos and the kitchen are legit but half the freezer space isn't actually freezer space. If you get what I'm telling you." Tommaso stared Danny in the eyes._

 _"And Bernardo? He has another store house?" Danny added. "Sure, it's an abandoned warehouse in Lackawanna. Not so abandoned. You'll find guns, goons and gore down there. If that is what you're looking for, then there is something really wrong with you, Detective."_

 _"Am I going to find Bernardo there?"_

 _"Probably not but he'll find you if you come after him." Tommaso warned._

 _"Not good enough." Danny shook his head. "I want the man. The merchandise can happen later."_

 _"Try the phone book."_

 _"All right," Danny smirked. "And while I'm at it I'll call up Giovanni Machiavelli and tip him off too."_

 _"Jersey City. Palos Barber shop. It's covering a gentlemen's club. Matteo meets his son for lunch every Friday to talk business. You have tomorrow before they are in the wind. They will make their plan to skip town tomorrow. Once Matteo knows that all the rest of the family is gone, he'll run or he'll shoot. You don't have many options."_

 _"Sounds like a trap."_

 _"Oh it will be. I told you it would get bloody." Tommaso said honestly. "But it's your only shot."_

 _"Never said the job was easy," Danny said thoughtfully as he paced. "Thank you, Tommaso. The DEA will be here shortly to write up your deal."_

 _"And my daughter?" He asked almost pleadingly._

 _"She's going to disappear into the Midwest for a time. That is all I can say for her own protection." Danny confessed._

 _"Will you see her before she goes?"_

 _"No," Danny shook his head. "That is out of my hands, but she will be back to testify against the family. She already agreed to that."_

 _"She's a good girl." Tommaso smiled. "She'll be okay."_


	9. Back Together

Chapter 9: Back Together

Peter Verardo arrived in Hawaii with the sun rise. With him he brought one carry-on bag and a pair of cases. He was lead off the plane by security and reunited with his cases in a secured location. Kono and Chin met him in the locked and secured area of the airport, and after exchanging pleasantries and asking after their friends in Jersey, they got right to the business at hand.

"Not exactly how I hoped to make it here," Peter said with half a smile.

"We promise to show you as much of Hawaii as we can as soon as we get this case solved," Kono commented sadly. "We wouldn't want you to go back to the mainland with a source taste in your mouth."

"I want to see Danny. If he knows what we've been dealing with, he might just break this for us," Peter said in response. "And then we can get to the paradise part that I've heard so much about."

"He's not exactly working this case," Chin jumped in. "He's more interested in standing between his children and whatever last ditch effort a mad man might throw at him."

Peter watched Chin and Kono for a long moment trying to read them, and deciding finally that they were being truthful he spoke once more. "That's not like Danny at all," he said as they moved through the room and finally left it behind. "What has Hawaii done to him?"

"Wouldn't you want to be with your family in this type of a crisis?" Kono asked

"Sure, and I'd be getting the hell outta dodge. But Danny is ruthless when he needs to be. Danny would lock his kids in a bunker and then cut down everything in his path to find justice."

"Sounds like McGarrett," Chin said and exchanged looks with his cousin.

"Yeah, I felt that way too when I first met the commander but when push comes to shove, Danny does not let it go either."

"Well, in his defence, Charlie is still in recovery and cannot be moved from the hospital. So Danny has turned the whole ward into a fortress," Chin explained.

"Charlie?" Peter questioned.

"Danny's son that Rachel kept from him and only told Danny the truth because the kid was sick and Danny was a donor match," Kono explained bitterly.

"Well that makes sense, but why haven't you moved all operations to Danny?" Peter carried on in his line of questioning as they loaded into the vehicles that were waiting for them. "Your biggest asset in this case is Danny, whether he likes it or not. He has to be involved."

* * *

 _"What do you mean you're not going to stay here?" Commander Colton asked as he stood up from his place at the desk to tower over Danny._

 _"Rachel is taking Grace and moving to Hawaii. Who will protect her there? I am going." Danny said defiantly._

 _"I'm not losing you because your ex-wife is leaving." Colton vowed and reached for his phone._

 _"It's done, Commander. I'm going. I start with the Honolulu police department in two weeks." Danny said and covered the phone with his hand. "I've got to go." He finished and placed his badge and gun down on the desk. "I will not be separated from my child."_

 _Colton fell back into his seat. "After everything? After you turned down task forces and federal agencies? This is what get you outta Jersey?"_

 _"Grace is my blood, my heart and soul. If there was anything I've learned on this job, I'll never forget what Bartholomew Pelagio said. That's my daughter and I will do anything for her, anything, because she's my child." Danny vowed._

 _"And what about your brothers and sisters here in PD?"_

 _"They'll be glad to see me go. At least most of them and your criminals will be ecstatic." Danny sassed._

 _"You cheeky bastard. I will not miss that lip." Colton huffed._

 _"You still have Peter. Give him your best rookie and you'll have a whole crew of Dannys when he's done with them."_

 _"That's just what I need." The commander said with a sigh and stood once more. "You were one of my best. The biggest pain in the ass I've ever known but dammit Daniel, you're one in a billion." He said and reached across the desk to shake Danny's hand._

 _"Thanks," Danny responded almost speechlessly. "I'll be starting from scratch in Hawaii. I hope my record speaks for itself."_

 _"I'm sure I'll hear of big things from you," Colton said and sat down again. "And if you ever find your way back, gimme a call. There will always be a place for you here."_

 _"Oh don't worry, I'll be back as soon as I can get full custody of Grace."_

 _"Good luck with that," Colton said sombrely. "Rarely will the judge rule against the mother and your job is dangerous. The deck is stacked against you, but then again, it always has been and you manage to beat the house every time."_

 _"Speaking from experience?" Danny asked and the commander nodded. "Well, I'm not the type to give up."_

 _"No, you are not."_

* * *

Peter, Kono and Chin moved through security checks at different intervals as they navigated the hospital and finally found themselves in the quarantine ward. They found Danny slumped in a chair that had been moved to the door that was his son's secured room. Grace and her grandmother were inside the room and officers stood in every doorway and hall leading in or out of the ward.

Peter cleared his throat as he stood in front of Danny.

He jumped slightly, reaching instinctively for his weapon but he got to his feet when he realized who was standing right in front of him. "It's good to see you Peter," Danny said as he fell forward into an embrace with one of his oldest friends.

"You look like hell, and not in a good give 'em hell kinda way." Peter joked.

"We're in a bad way here," Danny confessed. "Why didn't you go straight to the office?"

"Because you are the reason I'm here. We need you, D," Peter said and stepped back. "That room should be just fine for our debrief," He added and motioned to the waiting area. "Let's get everyone here. I only want to tell this story once and then we hit the ground running."


	10. A Meeting Of East And West

Chapter 10: A Meeting Of East And West

Danny had protested slightly but he was too tired to really put up a fight, and before long Peter, Kono, and Chin had spread out the contents of Peter's cases over a table that had been brought in from somewhere else in the hospital. They'd been offered the use of the hospital board room but Danny was adamant that he needed to remain on the ward with his children.

A few times Eliza tried to interrupt their process but she was sent back to Charlie's room like a dog with its tale between its legs.

Soon enough the whole team, along with what they'd found, and a white board that took up a whole wall was wheeled into the waiting room. Effectively turning a hospital stay into Five-O headquarters.

"If you can't bring the detective to the office, bring the office to the detective," Kono said once everyone had arrived.

"Why didn't I think of this?" Steve asked.

"Because I sent you away." Danny answered.

"Not your best idea, D." Peter accused.

"Thanks for coming Peter," Steve said as he shook hands with the new comer. "For the time being you're one of us," He added and handed over a badge. "Glad to see someone who can keep Danny in line."

"I'm glad to be here, and to be of service to all of you," Peter nodded and accepted the badge graciously. "But some sunscreen might have been a better gift idea." He joked and for the first time in a long time Danny laughed out loud.

"You haven't changed one bit." Danny said with a shake of his head.

"Excuse me, I work in a very dangerous profession. The last thing I need is a melanoma!" Peter countered.

"Don't worry, it rains a lot," Danny tried to settle his former partner and childhood friend.

"And then what?" Peter asked. "The sun comes out and you have to reapply?" He asked sarcastically.

"Pretty much," Danny nodded and settled into a chair.

"We'll have you well protected. Don't worry about a thing, well aside for the case," Steve said seriously not picking up on the nuances of the former partnership.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," Peter nodded as he looked to Danny and tried to stifle a laugh. "But seriously, I'm particular about these kinds of things. It's a fault, I know it, but we're all allowed out OCD."

Danny laughed again and then fell silent as shadows clouded into his eyes and his thoughts pulled him back to his unfortunate reality.

"So now that we're all here, we should get started," Lou said as he stepped toward Peter and introduced himself and motioned to Toast and made that introduction as well.

"Nice to meet you," Peter smiled.

"Sorry," Danny said with a shake of his head. "My mind is elsewhere and I forgot you haven't met all these people."

"Not your fault, D." Peter said, "As for the rest of you, how rude!" He added and the only person who laughed was Danny.

"Sorry," Kono said and cast down her eyes.

"It's a joke," Peter said, "a dark, twisted, Jersey way of doing things. I'm sorry."

"'Cause if you walked into a place and didn't make the proper introductions and your old Italian mother, or grandmother, caught you, you'd get a good old slap upside the head." Danny explained. "Rudeness isn't tolerated, but child abuse is a teaching tool," He added sarcastically and Peter laughed.

"I wouldn't call it child abuse, because you always got a sweet and a kiss as an apology," Peter commented.

"And a curse in Italian under her breath," Danny concluded.

The former partners laughed together and then apologized again. "We're being rude again."

"You two have a lot to catch up on," Steve said. "We understand."

"This is neither the time, nor the place," Danny said with a shake of his head. "Maybe later."

"Yeah, you're right. So what's going on so far?" Peter asked.

"Well, Rachel and Stan were murdered. A note was left for Danny and Toast has been able to identify three people based on Danny's knowledge." Steve stared. "What we really need is your side of the story."

"What did the note say and who are the people here?" Peter asked ignoring the second bit of Steve's answer.

"Izzy, Frankie and Mack." Danny answered knowing that his former partner would know exactly who he was talking about. "The letter basically said he was taking two lives for two lives and could come for the rest of us." He finished and Kono handed Peter the copy of the note.

"I also have surveillance of Izzy arriving with about six people. Danny identified three of the six. Do you recognize anyone else?" Toast asked as he spun around his laptop and Peter leaned in for a closer look.

"This isn't good," Peter said with a long sigh as he looked at the image and nodded his head. "I know these men."

Danny perked up. "What's happened since I left?"

"A lot, but let's start at the beginning," Peter said and threw open one of the case files he'd brought with him.

* * *

 _"You gotta be very careful, D. I could get in so much trouble for this," Peter warned as they sat together in the setting sun of a bright Jersey summer._

 _"My training is almost finished. I'll be on the force with you soon enough and who doesn't know about the Pelagio family?" Danny asked with a huff. "Everyone who is anyone know they are scummy."_

 _"True, but I can't talk about the case with civilians," Peter protested._

 _"Peter, we've been friends since before we were born. Our moms are closer than sisters. I'm no civilian," Danny said with a laugh. "You're the big brother I never had and here you are a detective already. I have looked up to your from day one. I'm following in your footsteps."_

 _"You say that like I'm not smart enough to be a detective," Peter accused jokingly and punched his friend in the arm._

 _"What's it like, a task-force? Detective Sergeant Tidwell is a beast, or so I'm told, and you get to work and learn from that."_

 _"He is, and a little reckless if you ask me, but he's on it and so good at his job. Smartest man I've ever met and his intuition is magical," Peter admitted. "I can't believe my luck. I mean I'm not technically on the task-force but violent crimes is involved so I am working directly with Tidwell and there by indirectly with the task-force. It's crazy."_

 _"They gonna take them down, the Pelagios?" Danny asked excitedly._

 _"Tidwell believes he's close, closer than ever before." Peter answered._

 _"Wow, that's insane. Can you imagine taking out a mob like the Pelagios? They've been running the underbelly forever," Danny raved and his youth showed through his excitement. "Imagine being a cop on that team. Goals, man, these are my goals!"_

 _"It's true, the Pelagios are the big fish and the Machiavellis are second only because of their numbers, but you need to calm down, D. We can't underestimate the Pelagio family. They've been at this, like you said, for way longer than we have. They have tricks up their sleeves and we can't predict that."_

 _"True, but you can't cover up forever. Somethings gotta give. Crime is not the answer."_

 _"Did you read that in one of your text-books rookie?" Peter mocked._

 _"Just you wait. I'll be on this case as soon as I'm on the force. I gotta be," Danny vowed._

 _"Watch yourself Danny," Peter warned. "You're headstrong and very smart, but green. You got a lot of learning to do and I ain't in any position to help you out. I'm too new myself."_

 _"I know they'll partner me up with a geezer. But I'm quick. I'll be a detective before you know it and I'll be working the mob cases before you can spell Machiavelli." Danny was passionate in his resolve and Peter knew better than to argue with the young man he'd know since the day of his birth._

 _"Just keep your nose to the grind and you'll make it." Peter said and relaxed a little. "I'm sure you'll do great things."_

 _"How's Keri?" Danny asked after a long moment of silence._

 _"She's pregnant," Peter said and beamed with pride._

 _"New job, new wife and already a baby on the way. Man you are living the dream. Did you tell momma yet?" Danny asked excitedly._

 _"Had I, would this be news to you?" Peter retorted sarcastically._

 _"True enough," Danny said with a laugh. "Once the ladies know it will spread like wild fire through the families."_

 _"We only just found out." Peter admitted._

 _"Well 're doing everything you ever set out to do."_

 _"Thank you, and have patience. You'll get here too, one day." Peter smiled._

 _"Five years, I'll have it all in five years." Danny predicted passionately._

 _"Oh I don't doubt you. Not one little bit."_

* * *

"So three generations back and this mob family exsisted?" Kono asked in shock.

"Probably longer," Lou said knowing the ways of the mobs on the mainland.

"Yeah," Peter nodded. "But what we dealt with were the third generation bosses, their businesses and the expansion that they carried out. The longer it went on the more it grew and the more people started dying as a result." He explained.

"It wasn't like they had to start small, their forefathers did that for them. So it was all a matter of economic growth, legitimate coverage of illegal dealings and laundering, and trust within the family," Danny jumped in. "Keep it in the family and keep it all controlled. Detective Sergeant Tidwell lost sight of the trust, busted a brother and before he could lay charges the family has him silenced."

"What they hadn't anticipated was the societal changes and how unpredictable children in this modern age can be," Peter continued.

"Spoiled rotten little rich kids, brought up in the lap of luxury, getting everything they could ever want and never leaning empathy, and wanting things that are absolutely out of reach." Danny huffed angrily.

"As you can see, Danny saw this development and Danny was able to exploit it as a weakness within the mob," Peter explained. "And one by one the brothers fell, children gave up their siblings and the Pelagio family monopoly crashed and crumbled."

"We did the same thing with the Machiavellis and it wasn't long before those deeply rooted mob families gave way to a new school of thought. We didn't eradicate the mob, we just forced it to evolve and with evolution comes growing pains. If you stay on it and are diligent then mistakes happen and things fall apart. The mob is still out there but not to the extent it once was." Danny finished and sighed.

"Which brings us to Danny's departure from Jersey and the issues we are facing today." Peter concluded.

"You said you recognized the other men who arrived with Izzy. Who are they?" Steve asked.

"New-ish players. The mob would have never been on their radar but I fear with Izzy's release and his knowledge, they saw him as perfect king pin material. Exactly what Izzy always wanted, minus the family connection."

"So what is this business about two lives?" Danny asked. "What have I missed?"

"Well, long story short, Bartholomew was murdered in prison and most of the Pelagio family blame you," Peter explained. "And if that wasn't enough, and in retaliation for the hit on Bart, Angelo and Bernardo went after the Machiavelli boy who was the one who ordered the hit. A prison riot ensured and Bernardo was killed. Angelo was transferred and ended up in the same prison as his brother. So we are assuming that Angelo filled his brother in on all the family business even though the Pelagios are spread out all over the continental US."

"They still talk to each other?" Danny asked. "But Izzy hates his older brother."

"What else is there to do in prison?" Steve asked.

"True," Danny nodded.

"And proving to Angelo that he's better is all Izzy has lived for. Hell, I wouldn't be at all surprised if, after he'd dealt with you, he goes back and rubs it in his face, and then orders the hit on his brother himself." Peter jumped back in.

"That's not gonna happen. We are going to stop this here and now." Steve vowed.

"That's the plan." Peter said with a nod.

"I agree with you," Danny said as he stood. "And someone from the outside is feeding the info into them on the inside. How else would they know to look for me here?" He asked.

"It may not be that," Peter said and pulled another file and handed it to Danny. "The Machiavelli boy, Antoni, the one who shanked you at his father's appeal, he was part of the hit on Pelagio. His youngest brother carried it out and was transferred to Halawa corrections to get him away from further retaliation after Theodore Machiavelli was attacked by Angelo and Bernardo. So, my guess is that Theodore has made some friends here and inmates talk. And, if I'm not mistaken, that man is the one Machiavelli that was never part of our bust." Peter finished and motioned to the photo of the group who arrived with Izzy.

"Chadrick, you think that sweet little boy is running with the Pelagio black sheep?" Danny asked and looked at the photo once more. He still didn't see the resemblance.

"Chad has had a very hard time in the last ten years." Peter sighed. "Loads of trouble, his true parentage has come into question and from what we can tell he has a lot of resentment for Giovani and Maria Machiavelli. Turns out Giovanni is not actually his father and he knew it all along. Maria Machiavelli had an affair with Bartholomew Pelagio. Chadrick is the result of that union."

"In fair Verona where we lay our scene..." Danny spoke under his breath.

"Exactly," Peter nodded. "So there is loads of drama and all kinds of fussing about in the federal prison system, and the Pelagio boys blame you for everything. And Izzy has a sweet, young, misguided half brother to pull about and share an empire with and he happens to be half Machiavelli. Talk about sticking it to your parents."

"Well at least we know why." Danny sighed.

"Maybe we should talk to the Machiavelli, Theodore, whom we have access to." Chin offered.

"Good idea," Steve said with a nod. "I think we should send in Peter and Danny. Imagine the shock of seeing you two together again."

"I'm staying with my kids," Danny protested.

"They are safe here with SWAT. I need you in the field." Steve half ordered. "Then you can come right back here. Whether you like it or not, you're involved and you will work this because you're in this deeper than any of us."

"What about the other two?" Toast interrupted before Danny could protest any further. "Give me something else to work on. Chadrick is already locked into my program." He finished and motioned to his laptop.

"The other two are brothers as well, but of no relation to either mob family," Peter answered. "And big bad news, if you catch my drift. I don't know if you've ever had any dealing with the Hesse brothers but..."

"I killed them both, or rather got them killed." Steve interrupted.

"Then you should recognize Fergus and Ronan Brady." Peter countered and Steve jumped to look at the image once more.

"They're arms dealers," Steve sighed and nodded. "They worked for Victor and Anton."

"And settled in Jersey when the Hesse operation went south. They aren't as locked in as Victor and Anton but they can get the weapons they need."

"This is really not good," Steve said with a shake of his head.

"I want to go back to HQ," Toast practically whined. "I want the big computer and the safety of the palace, pronto!"

"I'll take you back," Chin said, "and I'll help with tracking."

"Lou and I will hit some contacts in Honolulu about weapons deals." Kono offered.

"You mean Kamekona?" Steve asked.

"Exactly," Kono nodded. "And we'll bring back lunch."

"All right, that leave me with the Jersey boys." Steve added and laughed to himself.

"Don't ever do that again." Danny warned as he and Peter shot Steve a very disapproving look.

"We're also going to have to stop at a Walgreens or something before we go to deep." Peter added.

"Get waterproof SPF 30, then if it rains you won't have to reapply." Danny offered.

"You still have to reapply every half hour, that's what the 30 stands for!" Peter said defiantly.

"We'll get you a hat!" Danny protested.

"That might work better, D." Peter nodded.

"Can we get going?" Steve asked sheepishly.

"Yes," Danny huffed and stretched. "The sooner we go the sooner I can get back to my children."


	11. Who Am I?

Chapter 11: Who Am I?

Danny protested as they exited the hospital, all the way to street level where Steve's truck was parked shockingly close to the Camaro and then he gave in.

"Steve, would you mind if I just took a moment with Peter? You can follow us, or lead, I don't care, but I'd like to talk to Peter alone." Danny said as he stopped before the vehicle.

"More secrets?" Steve asked, he was hurt by the request.

"No, and generally speaking I prefer for you to be involved in this but Peter and I need to discuss how I've changed and I need to figure out how this interrogation is going to go without your influence."

"Maybe it would be better if you two did this interrogation. You're the partners here. I'm just a third wheel," Peter offered.

"But that's not the plan. That has none of the intimidation factor that Steve is going for by taking me along. If that were the case he would have been cool with the two of you on the outing but he insisted that I be there, which tells me he wants a Jersey affect that I lost in the ten years I've been here." Danny explained before Steve could say anything.

"You want the ride to feel like partners again?" Steve asked.

"You know, I've had a partner all my career except that short period of time between Meka and Steve. I know how to be a partner. I thought I could go at this alone but I can't. I just don't know how to be me in this situation." Danny admitted.

* * *

 _"Detective, it's time and we feel that the best way to get you back on the job is to partner you up again." Commander Colton stated as he stared across his desk at the young man before him._

 _"Look, this world is completely fucked up, pardon my language, and I'm not that guy anymore. I have a family to think about now. A baby on the way, way soon. A mother in law who wants to see me do something greater with my life and maybe she's right. If that will bring peace to my world, then maybe I should do it." Danny explained as he stood and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Maybe I don't want to be reckless anymore. Maybe I don't need to get back on this job but find something else. Maybe I was wrong and I'm not cut out to be a cop. I got my partner killed. That's on me. I don't need another partner to drag through the mud. I need to figure out who I have become and where I should be going."_

 _"Who better to help you do that than Peter Verardo?" Colton asked. "We know the two of you have a long, deep, history."_

 _"Peter's family. When I need him I go to him," Danny retorted._

 _"I think you need me," Peter said as he walked in. "I don't like what I'm hearing. Danny Williams not a cop? That's like saying the sun won't rise anymore."_

 _"You've got work to finish, Detective Williams," Colton added. "And you're going to do it."_

 _"The Machiavelli family needs your attention, D," Peter said and held out the file, the same file that Grace has used before. "It's what you've always wanted only this time I'll be walking with you as your partner. No longer like my little brother. We are equals now."_

 _"I'm gonna get you killed, Peter. You have three kids at home, a wife who loves you. I can't," Danny said what a shake of his head._

 _"What happened to the five year plan?" Peter asked._

 _"I was foolish," Danny answered and walked out of the office._

 _"Do you think she'd stand for his?" Peter called after him. "Is this any way to finish what Grace started?" He added to Danny's back._

 _Danny spun around and stared down the man who had known him all his life._

 _"She's not the only one we lost that day. Did we lose you too?" Peter asked._

 _"No," Danny answered._

 _"Are you sure?" Peter asked. "Because she'd be the one to kick your ass out of this. Now come on, Grace had made an awesome start on the Machiavelli case. You owe her as much to finish it."_

 _"Gimme the file," Danny huffed as he rushed toward Peter and snatched it out of his hands._

 _"Does this mean you'll work with me? Are we partners?" Peter asked mockingly._

 _"You might live to regret this." Was Danny's response._

 _"I'll live," Peter joked as they passed Colton's office and he winked at the commander as his desk._

* * *

"Fine go," Steve huffed and fled for his truck.

"Did you hurt his feelings?" Peter asked as they fell into Danny's car.

"I'm sure I did," Danny sighed, "but he'll live. If anything he's jealous of you."

"He's the one that asked for me to come here."

"And he's the one who wanted us paired up again." Danny added.

"And what do you need Danny?" Peter asked more seriously now as they pulled away from the hospital.

"What would my life be had I quit like I had planned?" Danny asked.

"No one would be here to protect you or the kids today." Peter answered. "The Pelagios would still blame you. Izzy would still come for you. You would just be so much more vulnerable than you are now. This team, the task-force you've always wanted, they will fix this and McGarrett is as ruthless as you once were."

Danny remained silent as he drove.

"And yet he's just letting you wallow. What has happened to you here?" Peter asked.

"I grew up a lot. I have so much more responsibility and Rachel is dead. How am I supposed to act in this situation?" Danny asked.

"You're supposed to be pissed off. The Danny I knew, that kid I grew up with, who was my shadow for years and then who surpassed me in everything I ever did, he would get mad. He'd be pissed off and hell bent. What has life done to you?"

"I've lost too many people. Getting angry clouds my judgement and I get sloppy." Danny answered.

"That sounds like the commanders answer to that question, like it's right out of the book." Peter said almost huffed in anger. "That's a line I've give you just to piss you off and you'd never listen. So why now?"

"Because when I got here and I was picked up by McGarrett, after I'd tried on my own, I saw myself and everything I'd ever done. And he's reckless and doesn't play by the rules and when that happens people die. You make enemies and end up running all the rest of your life." Danny yelled. "That's what chased Rachel away in the first place and landed me on this God forsaken rock."

"That doesn't make you any less the detective that you were then," Peter spoke softer than usual. "Do you have that much resentment for yourself and your partner?"

"I've just passed the torch. Steve can handle it now," Danny huffed.

"It's not Steve's case. It's yours," Peter said with a shake of his head. "You made the deal with the devil for Izzy. You get to deal with what comes out the other end. We're going to help you but you know this is the only way."

"Maybe Eliza was right," Danny sighed. "We don't get lives."

"Eliza has never been right a day in her life." Peter laughed. "You're just way too dark for your own good. I'd like the old Danny to come out to play. You can have fifteen minutes to wake his sorry ass up. Pull over there." Peter ordered and pointed at a Walgreens on the corner.

"You're not serious." Danny said sarcastically.

"You dragged me all the way to this rock for Izzy Pelagio," Peter said as he looked at Danny. "A case that was never mine but I'm here for you and I find you on the sidelines? Yes, Daniel I'm serious. Pull over!"

Danny pulled into the Walgreens parking lot and Steve followed them in. Peter went for the door and Danny stayed behind.

"Did you get the pep-talk you needed?" Steve asked as he joined Danny by the car. "Or are you two hiding more things from me and this team?"

"Hiding things?" Danny asked with a sarcastic laughed that told Steve more about Danny's current mental state than any words would ever say. "Hawaii was supposed to be my fresh start, with new people and new problems. You can take the boy outta Jersey but never the Jersey outta the boy. I was foolish to think any differently. The only thing I've been hiding is how similar we are." Danny spat on the ground and rounded the car once more as Peter reappeared out of the store.

"What do you mean by that?" Steve asked.

"Watch and learn," Danny said and fell back into his seat.

"What did you say to him?" Steve asked as Peter neared the car.

"Hopefully just what he needed to hear. You'll have your partner back in no time." Peter said and then jumped into the car as well.

"Keep up," Danny shouted at Steve and peeled outta the parking lot sirens blaring and tires squealing.


	12. It Takes Two To Tango

Chapter 12: It Takes Two To Tango

Danny, Steve and Peter walked into Halawa to cat calls and death threats by the inmates who were out in the yard.

"Some things never change, no matter where you are," Peter commented as they went.

"You're gonna have to turn that snarkiness up about one hundred percent," Danny huffed.

"It was just an observation, D," Peter retorted.

"Captain obvious," Danny shot Peter an angry and volatile look.

"There he is," Peter mocked. "That's the Danny we need right now."

Steve remained silent as the two men bickered and in a small way he saw the similarities in the partnership.

They were led, all three of them, into one of the larger interrogation room and left to wait for the prisoner to be brought around to them. Peter sat down at the table to wait. Danny took to pacing and ringing his hands together while Steve stood in a corner and observed.

Theodore Machiavelli was brought in, in shackles and leg irons, and chained to the table. No one spoke as the process was carried out. They waited for the guards to leave, the door clanged shut behind them and then in one swift moment Danny sat down with Peter and the fugitive at the table.

"Detective Verardo, Detective Williams, do my eyes deceive me? I thought I was in paradise and yet here you are," Theodore spoke pleasantly. "Last time I saw you was in Jersey, what was it, two, three, years ago now at my dad appeal?" He carried on in a conversational kind of way. "Who is that guy? He seems familiar, he came with you. Boyfriend? I know I've seen him before," he motioned with his chin to Steve in the corner.

Danny and Peter remained silent.

"If you're not in a chatty mood why did you wake me up?" Theodore asked.

"A Machiavelli in Hawaii. You're a long way from home." Peter commented.

"I could say the same for you, Detective," Theodore retorted darkly. "Not by choice, I imagine, for either of us."

"Why did you kill Bartholomew Pelagio?" Danny asked.

"Like you care, you weren't exactly best friends with the guy. Besides, I didn't kill him, my brother did and when those filthy Pelagios came after us I had to protect my family. That's how the business works," Theodore explained.

"The business is over," Peter said with a twisted smirk on his face. "You have no leverage anymore. The empire has fallen."

"Believe what you want," Theodore shrugged. "There is still honour to uphold."

"Even when brothers turn against brothers?" Danny asked as he leaned back in the chair and watched the prisoner with questions and disgust in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Detective, I can't discuss family business with you. We keep our drama in the family. It will be dealt with."

"Izodore Pelagio and Chadrick Machiavelli are running together. Is that in the family?" Danny asked harshly as he slammed a printed surveillance photo down onto the table before the prisoner.

"That's deeper into the family than you want to go," Theodore warned and his words seethed with distain and betrayal.

"Ha," Danny laughed dryly as he stood. "Shall I remind you just how deep I am into all of that family business?" He asked quietly as he moved around the table and hissed into the Machiavelli boys ear. "We know who his father really is."

Darkness flashed in Theodore's eyes.

"One boy to unite them all," Danny continued, louder now as he walked in a circle around the table. "The Machiavellis and the Pelagios, joined by blood. Does that make your mother a whore or your brother a prince?"

"Watch you mouth," Theodore hissed.

"What are you gonna do? You already told your brother that I'm here. You've already sold out your family to benefit the Pelagios. How does it feel selling your soul to the devil?" Danny pushed and prodded.

"I did nothing of the sort."

"Sure you did," Peter jumped in. "We know how you Machiavelli boys like to boast about your conquests. What makes this any different? You get moved to Hawaii just to find out that the great Jersey detective, who vowed to end the mob families in his home state finally took that elite potion and is in Hawaii."

"How much did you win in that bet?" Danny asked and his face twisted into a smile. "Come on, I know there was a wager from the moment the Feds spoke to me. The moment Izzy made his deal with the DEA and Bart Pelagio fell. What did you get for confirming my location to the rest of your family?"

"Revenge, you wouldn't be here if I weren't right. Who is dead? Who did Chadrick kill?" Theodore spat.

"Chadwick and Izodoro killed my ex-wife and her husband." Danny answered.

"Ex-wife?" Theodore asked as his face dropped.

Danny laughed a dark and maniacal laugh. "Yes, my ex-wife. Hell, they did me a favour."

"You're not serious," Theodore asked in shock.

"Enemies are made in many ways," Danny said with a smile on his face.

"Then why are you here?" Theodore questioned suspiciously.

"A crime was still committed and I'm a member of an elite task-force. It's my job to catch killers and end families who don't get that the business is over. So, if you hear from Chadrick or Izzy, you let them know that they fucked up royally and they ain't gonna see their way off this rock. They will be reunited with their brothers in prison, I can guarantee that, but they didn't think this one through very well." Danny explained.

"If this really were the case then why is Verardo here?"

"Because this is still my case and with Danny's connections to this elite task-force, they have the means to keep me involved." Peter answered.

"I don't need this collar, do you commander?" Danny asked and addressed Steve for the first time.

Steve shrugged, "ask around this prison and find out if I need anything from the mainland."

"You ain't even a detective." Theodore spat. "Or at least that's the word around here."

"Navy SEAL." Steve shrugged again. "I have bigger fish to fry then you and your jaded brothers. Let the Jersey team deal with this clean up."

"Where have they gone?" Peter asked after a long moment of silence that was left to happen and allow the information to sink in.

"Not my island, how should I know?" Theodore asked. "If this Five-O is so great why haven't you found them yet?"

Danny slammed the prisoners face into the table.

"I take it that violence is okay by Hawaiian standards." Theodore laughed as he spat blood onto the table before Peter. "why should I even care about my half brother and his need to know his true father's family? My family gave him everything even though he knew what had transpired between the whore and the enemy. If he wants to get himself killed for a Pelagio vendetta let him. It's no skin off my back or my brothers. That's one less, or two less, Pelagios for us to worry about."

"And yet you have a thing for a Pelagio daughter." Danny accused.

"I wanted one thing," Theodore shrugged. "They were smart to bargain with her."

"You are as sick as they are." Danny seethed with anger.

"Well there he is, the compassionate Detective Williams who fights for the sanctity of the innocent. I know you've changed."

"Not as much as you think," Danny said and sat down again. "I've always fought to clean up a mess like yourself and protect those who couldn't fight for themselves. You're right where you should be and if it gets out among the general population that you like 'em young and innocent, well what do you think will happen to you here?"

"I'm not in general pop, I'm too dangerous for that." Theodore smiled.

Danny made eye contact with Steve over his should and Steve nodded.

"Get me the governor," Steve said as he held his phone to his ear.

"You think that's gonna scare me? He's not my governor," Theodore taunted.

"But you're in his state." Danny smiled. "Warden, you have a pedophile moving into general population today." He added as he looked directly at the surveillance camera in the interrogation room and spoke loudly. "He's also a member of an old mob family and thinks he's better than the other inmates from this island. Do you think you have some ears you might want to plant that information into?"

"Thank you Detective Williams, we'll take that into consideration," A voice boomed over the intercoms system.

"Better step up your security around here," He finished.

"You don't scare me," Theodore said but he lacked something of his former self.

"It's done," Steve announced and pocketed his phone once more.

"So, general pop for you or you can tell us where Chadrick and Izzy are hiding," Danny said, folded his hands and looked across the table at the man before him.

"How am I supposed to know that. This isn't my home. These aren't my people. I have no clue or pull here," Theodore protested.

"But Chadrick did visit you," Peter said and produced the log book that they had obtained from the warden.

"He did," Theodore confessed. "I was surprised to see him, he didn't give me anything, I swear, but said he was finally ready to build up his part of the family business. I'm sure the whole of the conversation was recorded. You'll know I'm telling the truth."

Danny and Peter nodded.

"Chadrick is simple," Theodore added. "He was never cut out to be part of something like this. He's being led around, I can guarantee that."

"He's gotten himself into big trouble," Danny warned.

"He'll follow Izzy because he needs someone to follow and Izzy will use him because he'd got one talent," Theodore said with a nod. "Chadwick is likeable, he's got the gift of gab. He could sell you anything he's peddling but that's as far as it goes. He needs a leader."

"Where do you think they'd stay?" Danny asked.

"Motels, off the beaten path. Away from tourists by night but in the thick of things by day. They'll be looking for recruits." Theodore confessed.

"Not really the Pelagio way." Peter said skeptically.

"But it was for us. That was the problem with the Pelagio business plan, as far as we were concerned. Keeping it only in the family was reckless, branching out and finding loyalty from those desperate to be led, that was our way."

"It also failed." Danny said.

"Why, because crime doesn't pay, Detective?" Theodore retorted.

"Finally we agree on something," Danny said and through up his hands. "Thank you for your time."


	13. As Thick As Thieves

Chapter 13: As Thick As Thieves

Out in the parking lot Danny, Peter, and Steve stopped by the vehicles to regroup.

"Did you get what you needed from that?" Danny asked as he breathed deeply and rang his hands together.

"Sure, we have direction. Not much more than what we had to begin with but we have insight." Steve said, "and you're back in the saddle. We can solve this. We can do this."

"Yeah, you can," Danny said and sighed.

"You're not coming with us?" Peter asked.

"I don't have much of a choice now do I?" Danny said in response. "I'm going back to the hospital to check on my kids and then I'll catch up to you." He added as he opened the trunk of the Camaro and pulled out his bullet proof vest.

"You're not going alone," Steve protested.

"My car has a tracker and so does my phone. I have several weapons and a vest, yes, I'm going alone," Danny said forcefully. "Because I need to figure through this without being babied and completely pissed off at the two of you for doing this to me."

"We didn't do anything to you. This is all Izzy and Chadrick." Steve protested further.

"You forced me off the side lines. You made me go in there and lie about Rachel. I want to stay out of this or it will never end for me, don't you get it, but that's impossible now." Danny yelled as he motioned angrily at the jail behind them. "So yeah, I'm pissed off. I'm on the case and it's gonna take a long time for me to forgive either one of you. But for now a pair of mob kids, their lackeys, and a crew of weapons dealers need to be locked up. So I suggest you two do some bonding over how you're gonna catch these punks while I make a quick stop at the hospital to ease my trouble mind." Danny finished, jumped into the car and peeled out of the parking lot before they could protest further.

"You ever seen him like that?" Steve asked when he and Peter were alone.

"Too many times," Peter sighed. "I'll tell you all about it on the way."

* * *

 _"Fuck You!" Danny yelled as he got up in Peter's face. "You son of a bitch. How could you?"_

 _"Danny, listen, it's not what you think. I needed you on this," Peter pleaded. "We would have never gotten the Machiavellis without you."_

 _"Rachel is leaving me!" Danny sobbed. "And you knew that this was the last nail in my coffin."_

 _"You saved so many people." Peter pleaded. "We couldn't just stop. And we won. We got the last of them. The last great family. We did that."_

 _"The last of them?" Danny laughed again, "the last of this family, the last of that family, then what? The loss of my family? That's the price we pay and for what? Evil lurking in other forms. Drugs. Sexual Predators. Child Molesters. Never ending evil, that's what we have to look forward to."_

 _"You knew that was it was over with Rachel a long time ago," Peter said, hurt in his tone._

 _"Did you just say that to me?" Danny yelled. "How would you feel if it was your family? If Keri threatened to leave you and I forced you to see only the job. You didn't just say that to me!"_

 _"Danny, stop," Peter pleaded. "We can get through this. We're family. We can work this out."_

 _"No, we can't. Not you and I. I have to deal with what is next on my own. Find us another case build it up and I'll be there but only because you all made sure that I would have nothing else."_

 _"Danny that is not what we did," Peter said angrily. "We were trying to help you."_

 _"Help, that's what this is called? Help?" Danny shook his head. "I was ready to get out. Call it quits. Move on. Hell I could have done something else with my life. Something safer. Something to make my wife happy and safe. But I was pulled back after the Pelagios, after Grace was murdered right before my eyes. But all that I was, I was. And I was pulled back. I was done. I was ready to be done. Now it's too late for anything. I've lost. There is no winning anymore, only trucking along the same path. Desperate. Scared. Watching people die."_

 _"You'll get through it. You always do."_

 _"Sure, if that's what you want to call it," Danny huffed and jammed his hands into his pockets. "Please stop trying to help me. It's only making things worse."_

 _As Danny finished a car horn sounded outside the precinct. He moved to the window and looked out._

 _"Who is it?" Peter asked suspiciously._

 _"It's Matti," Danny answered and stepped around his partner._

 _"Don't get in any trouble with that boy," Peter warned._

 _"Trouble, I'll never see trouble with him like I've seen with you." Danny said and his words cut deep. And then he was gone._

* * *

"Wow, harsh, I mean I knew Danny had a hard time with the split, and hell, he went back to Rachel the moment she was open to it, and she broke his heart again. But, really, he was that close to quitting?"

"Hard to believe from Danny Williams, right?" Peter asked as he sat in the passenger seat of Steve's truck and stared out the window not really seeing as Hawaii passed him by. "See, Danny was ruthless. Danny was driven and passionate and young at the time, but above all that, Danny is smart, like quick and deep, and smarter than anyone I've ever known on the job, and in life. He see things, he listens and picks up on everything. He can read and profile people, and I don't want to say he takes advantage of people, but he does use them to his advantage."

"He's compassionate and empathetic," Steve said with a nod. "He only pulls the trigger when he has no other choice."

Peter shook his head. "I've only ever seen Danny shoot in anger once. We were backed into a corner. He did it to protect me."

"I've pushed him to shoot," Steve confessed. "I got him shot the first day we met. I've seen him shoot out of necessity, but mostly he just wants back-up."

"Oh yeah, back-up is Danny's favourite thing. He'd rather someone else make the take down, but he's willing to do all the ground work. I think it's something he learned from Rick, the one good thing." Peter said bitterly.

"Have I pushed him too far on this?" Steve asked after a long, long moment of silence.

"Two huge families that Danny was involved with and the fact that they are out here because of him, he needs to be involved," Peter said. "In any other circumstance I would leave him, and he'd follow, he would because that's Danny. But I get why he wants out of this. Those cases were supposed to be finished, and they keep rearing their ugly heads."

"We have to have something before he gets back," Steve said passionately. "We have to solve this."

Peter nodded. "You know he's right, he doesn't need to be his old self, because that's you now. Hawaii was his new start. All the good parts of Danny, all his know how and gumption, and you go all passion crazy. Running in guns blazing. It's not something I could give him."

"He runs when he has to," Steve said.

"After you," Peter retorted.

"Sure, probably, but that's all part of being partners, isn't it?"

"Well, there is one big difference and that has to do with your training verses his," Peter said thoughtfully. "I think he would have done really well in the military but that was never a place he ever saw himself. He believed that he could have become a desk man, someone in business, following Matti into money. That didn't really work out. But I think he could have used the discipline and the regiment of military service. You and he could have been thick as thieves had your paths crossed sooner. I'm not saying that you aren't now, but he is trying to fight you like he fought me. And we're pushing him into it."

"Is there any coming back from this?" Steve asked.

"Let him run with it, and back him up as best as you can," Peter said as they neared the palace and he saw it for the first time. "Wow, now that is cool."

"Home sweet home," Steve said darkly and pulled into his designated parking spot.


	14. A Terrible Idea

**_A/N: Happy Easter Everyone! I am finding that I have a little bit of free time this weekend and so I am working to finish this story. I have a rather large update for you today and I think I have turned a corner in the story. We'll be on the down swing now and I hope to be able to write the ending in the coming days. I can't begin to predict when the end will go up, but it will be soon I hope. For now enjoy these chapters._**

Chapter 14: A Terrible Idea

Danny made it to the hospital without an incident, even though he was fuming with anger over what had transpired. The drive gave him time to think and to calm down. It was quiet in the car but the tumult of his mind was deafening. He questioned himself, his actions both now and in his previous years. He saw the time lines of his life and how the intersected with his future, his present and how the past just kept on sneaking up on him. And his heart sank because all of this, the danger he faced, the anger he felt against his friends and the job, and the people who had come back into his life, all of it stemmed from his own actions and decisions.

Taking a deep breath to centre himself he scanned the parking lot for familiar faces, and seeing no one he recognized he headed into the hospital. The guards at the doors cleared every last person as they were let into the building and Danny stopped for a long moment to watch the process. It was thorough and well organized, and Danny was confident in the jobs that were being done.

"Anything out of the ordinary?" Danny asked as he came to stand by SWAT officer Carmine Booth - an old friend of Five-O.

"Nothing as of yet," Carmine answered and placed a hand on Danny's shoulder. "We're getting constant updates from Five-O. We know faces, names, what they specialize in and who they are with regards to the murders. They aren't getting past me, Danny. I promise."

"I know you'll do your best but who know who else they got working for them now that they've been on the island a few days."

"Weapons aren't getting past us. Video is taken, run and re-run by your folks. We're on top of it and between these front doors, the other entrances and the emergency department there are additional check points. And no one but five-O and HPD are allowed up to your ward. The kids are safe. The ex-mother in law likes to wander but she's not out of our sight, ever."

"Thank you. She can be a handful," Danny said with a sigh and moved to walk on.

"Danny," Carmine called after him. "I'm sorry for your loss. I can't fathom what you must be going through right now. I'm so sorry."

"Thank you, Carmine. It means a lot," Danny said with a slight bow of his head and then he was off and Carmine got back to supervising.

Up on the ward, Eliza rushed out of her grandson's room at the sight of Danny's return. "Did you catch the man who killed my daughter, Daniel?" She asked desperately.

"No," Danny answered. "No, we've caught nothing. We have leads, I guess. We have a hunch, but we really have nothing else."

"Then why are you here?" She asked indignantly.

"To check on my children," Danny said angrily and aggressively. "I've had about enough of you and everyone telling me what I should and shouldn't be doing in this situation."

Eliza's features softened. "Is there hope?"

"I am confident that you and the children are safe here. I am confident that the team will eventually come through. So yes there is reason to hope." Danny answered.

"But is there hope for you?"

"Was there ever hope for me, Eliza, really in your mind?" Danny asked harshly.

"Daniel let's get something straight, Rachel was my daughter. My flesh and my blood. I will always side with her - choose her over anyone - and no one was ever going to be good enough," Eliza said as she got up in Danny's face. "But she's gone now. My daughter is dead and now all I have are these children. Those kids are all that we have left of Rachel. You and me. We're all those children have left. And that little girl in there knows nothing but that her father is out to stop the bad guys, and that little boy is going to grow up knowing that his true father is the reason he'd alive. The will and do look up to you, and so do I. If anyone is going to protect us, it's you."

"These people are going to chase me, haunt me, for the rest of my days," Danny said. "You were right. I should have stopped a long time ago."

"If that is really the way you feel you should have never started to begin with," Eliza huffed. "Should have been a firefighter like your father and ignored all those mobsters. But that is not what you wanted, and that fresh faced, dewy eyes detective who made me a cup of tea on my very first visit is not the man who stands before me now. You've changed, grown, and I trust you now."

* * *

 _"Daniel Williams, would you stop fussing."_

 _"Sorry momma."_

 _"I need you to watch you sisters for me and be a good boy. This is a big day for you father." His mother said as she stooped over him and straightened his tie. "Just a little bit longer, my love, and we'll be able to go to the beach."_

 _"Why is this so important?" Danny asked. "Papa is still a firefighters."_

 _"Yes, but he's been promoted to captain." She answered proudly. "One day you can be just like him. It's in your blood, Daniel."_

 _"But I wanna be a police officer like Uncle Sam." Danny said, almost whined. "I want to be a hero."_

 _"You can be anything you want to be, sweetheart," She cooed. "Just as long as it makes you happy."_

 _"Is papa happy?" Danny asked innocently. "He didn't seem happy after Marco died."_

 _"Well no, he wasn't happy then but he loves helping people," She answered. "And helping people makes him happy. He is a hero, you know."_

 _"Are you happy?" Danny asked._

 _"I am, yes," She smiled._

 _"Even when Papa runs into fires, or comes home with burns?" Danny asked._

 _"We can't all be happy all the time, but you have to love what you do. I love being your mom. Your father loves to be a firefighter. Uncle Sam loves to be a police officer. We may not make each other happy all the time but we have to carry on," She said with that motherly smile that always made things better._

 _"Okay," Danny said with a nod and a smile. "I'll watch out for the girls."_

 _"I can't wait to watch you grow up and see what you'll become, but please, my sweet little angel, don't do it too quickly," She added as she kissed his forehead and rubbed the smudge of her lipstick off the stop. "Stay this beautiful little boy for a little longer."_

 _"I promise."_

* * *

"Please tell me you have something," Danny's voice boomed as he walked into the bullpen to the gathering of his friends and teammates.

"You came, wow!" Steve gasped.

Danny shot him an angry look.

"So Peter and I did a quick scan of some of the major tourist spots downtown and found nothing concrete, so we put Toast on it and he had much better luck," Steve explained.

"Wish we had a Toast of our own back in Jersey," Peter added with deep approval for the hacker.

"Too cold," Toast commented. "I ain't going nowhere!"

"What did you find?" Danny asked Toast.

"The Machiavelli was right. I caught them on surveillance, back tracked on their movement and watched them strike out with some of the bigger players on the Island. Or at least I think they struck out. The meeting sure didn't look cordial."

"Any luck with where they are staying?"

A chorus of shaking heads discouraged Danny even further.

"So do we have a plan?" Danny asked. "All you people working on it and no plan?" He continued when people remained silent.

"Are you in or are you out?" Steve finally asked. "I need to know so that we can come up with a plan."

"You already have a plan and you want me to play bait," Danny grumbled.

"I just want you to flaunt your power. It's time we went to them and I think a shake up down town is just what we need," Steve confessed.

"What do you have in mind?" Danny asked.

"You and me, downtown, on the beat," Steve answered.

"Putting hundreds of thousands in danger if Izzy decides to act out, if the Brady boys have been able to obtain weapons for them?" Danny countered questioningly.

"We've done far worse," Steve said.

"Is that your only plan?" Danny asked.

"We're still working other angles. Kamekona has set out his feelers. Toast is still on their movement. We'll go under cover in the area while you and Steve play the rolls you were born to play," Kono explained. "This could be a good thing, Danny."

"All right. I'm on board but when?" Danny asked and gave a sigh of defeat.

"They like to be around in the morning, from what I can tell. I'll keep mapping their movement and feeding you info as we go. We won't send you in until we're sure they are all there." Toast explained.

"So not a stakeout?" Danny asked.

"No, all show Danno. We'll roll up, sirens blaring and see what they do knowing we're there for them," Steve smiled.

"This is a terrible idea." Danny protested. "And what if they don't show?"

"Then we'll try something else and you can go back to the hospital."

"Fine," Danny huffed. "Until then, what are we doing?"

"Do you want to see the crime scene?" Steve asked.

"No, I want to talk to the little girl at the motel," Danny answered. "You and me, let's go."

"The rest of you keep on it," Steve ordered hurriedly and followed as Danny stormed out of the office.


	15. You've Seen This Before

Chapter 15: You've Seen This Before

The ride up the North Shore was a quiet one. Danny fidgeted in the passenger seat while Steve drove. It was common enough, and familiar, and yet there was a charge in the air that came with Danny's building anxiety. It was filled, not only by Danny however, but by Steve as well, and it was made up of emotions as great as fear and anger and as simple as sadness and shock. The only noise in the car was the Camaro's engine and the occasional interruption of the police radio.

They arrived at the motel and once again Steve lead the way to the check in desk. Steve was familiar with the woman before him, as Danny looked around suspiciously.

"New partner, Commander?" Lisa, Maggie's mother, asked as they neared her work space.

"No, this is Detective Danny Williams, my partner, the other guy stands in from time to time, when the good detective needs a break, but usually it's Danny and I against the world," Steve answered, loud enough for Danny to hear and for the thought to be planted in his head.

"Well what can I do for the two of you?" Lisa asked as she watched thoughts pass before the eyes of the silent detective who didn't seem to acknowledge his partner, and yet he did in a way.

"I was wondering if I could talk to your daughter," Danny finally spoke. "The men we are looking for made a negative impression on her, I understand, and I'd just like to reassure her that things will be all right, and ask her a few follow-up question. If you don't mind."

"I don't see why not," Lisa smiled and disappeared into the apartment that she and her family shared.

"Are you looking for insight?" Steve asked as he watched Danny's eyes and his concentration roamed once they were alone again.

"Yes, and I want to make sure she's okay. Izzy is a monster and from what I understand about him...well let's just say, I've had this unfortunate meeting with young ladies and men before. If she has bad vibes, it's because he's taken a shine to her, and intuition is rarely wrong. Knowing him, as I do, I know his lusts cloud his judgement. He may come back for her, and we cannot let that happen."

* * *

 _"Danny, this isn't healthy," Grace said as the two partners sat in the cold silent car, on a dark street, just waiting for signs of movement. It was nearly dawn and they'd been out there all night. "You need to take it easy on this. It's not even our case and you might be wrong about this."_

 _"Like hell this isn't our case. And my intuition is never wrong, Grace, you should know that about me by now. The sicko we're after is Izidoro Pelagio. He's luring, hunting, and assaulting young girls and boys. Some of them may not be the best of society, but they are still victims. Not to mention abducting them and you know we have an air tight profile on this predator. I'm telling you Grace, he has his eyes on this girl and we're going to catch him red handed this time. He will be our link to Bartholomew and the rest of that family. We just need to catch him in the act," Danny explained passionately as he watched the girl's apartment complex, never taking his eyes off the empty street and the windows he knew were hers._

 _"This is not as cut and dry as you think. The profile is yours, made up in the last few days and unshared with the special victims unit that this falls under. You're walking into territory that could get you in big trouble with internal affairs, and me too, by association," Grace protested. "You've gone behind everyone's back to talk to this victim, if you can even call her that. You're stepping beyond your bounds on this one and now we're waiting outside some little girls house like stalkers," She continued but he really wasn't paying any attention to her concerns. "I need to know this is you with your head on straight and not you grasping at straws."_

 _"As it pertains to this case, my head is exactly where it needs to be, Grace."_

 _"I just don't want to see this slip through your hands because of the bureaucracy of it all," She warned. "The last thing we need is to be thrown off the Pelagio case all together because of one misstep by you."_

 _"I haven't miss stepped," Danny vowed. "I will not let anything get in my way. And I will not let a nightmare happen to this girl."_

 _"All right, fine. Tell me why you're sure this is the right time and place for this," Grace said as she gave in and decided she would back her partner even if it got them in trouble._

 _"In talking with the victims, a clear pattern emerged. And you know me, I always go with my gut. This is the right girl, the right time, and definitely the right place," Danny tried to reassure her but she shook him to get him to look at her and her eyes told him that wasn't enough to win her over. "Fine, all of his victims, whether they admit that he was the assailant or not, paint the same picture of the assault and the time leading up to their trauma. He as a clear way of hunting. He tries to befriend them, whether they want it or not. He tries to get information, keeps coming around and makes them very uncomfortable. I think the discomfort is a turn on. He then strikes when they feel comfort and safety. When they least expect him. He shows up at their homes or waits with them to catch the school bus, and then he makes his move. For now, he has them back at home before the day is done, but if we don't act we know this behaviour evolves. Do you want to take that change? Think about it. What is he evolving to?"_

 _"I get and I know. It's horrific, and if your profile is right, if he is evolving from the images and videos we are certain he's into, then yes he has to come off the streets. But that alone is enough for us to take him in, and search his computers. Why this girl? We could be here for days," Grace protested. "And if we're off the job too long, or the job we're supposed to be doing, someone is going to notice!"_

 _"If I'm right, he will be here to get this girl. If that means waiting, we'll wait," Danny vowed. "And sure, I have enough to take him in, but if we can nail him on this too, then he'll go away fro much, much longer. The DEA will not deal with him if SVU can tie him to their cases."_

 _"So you think he's a serialist?" Grace questioned knowing her protests were going unheard._

 _"He's showing all the signs of a serialism, yes, and I believe him to be a true psychopath. Not empathy. No regard for other. Narcissism. This is Izzy. And although he's perfected the manners of his hunt, his crimes are escalating. He's becoming more confident in his method and showy. He's acting out more often. Maybe he'll mess up, and someone else will be onto him eventually, but we can catch him tonight. We can stop him before he kills anyone."_

 _"From forced pornographic photos, to videos and rape, to what?" Grace listed off his offences, or rather the ones that she knew Danny wanted to charge him with. "How are you going to pin this all on him without access to the files from special victims?"_

 _"I'm going to catch him in the act, and then even though we haven't seen his face in videos or photos, he will be identified by his victims and we'll have him on far more than my hunch," Danny said. "I'm sick over this monster, so I'll wait here to stop him. And, if he doesn't come, or if SVU doesn't want to cooperate, we still have enough to take him on pornography charges. He'll go away for a long time, but I'd like to see him in there forever. That is what this stakeout will do for this case."_

 _"SVU will not like this," Grace said._

 _"They'll get over it, I hope," Danny sighed. "But yeah, we've been out here a long time. I'm sorry to keep you."_

 _"I don't think we're going to have to wait long," Grace said in shock herself as dawn light started to break over the buildings and a grey van pulled onto the street and parked between the girls house and the corner that was her bus stop._

 _"She'll have to walk right by it," Danny said in a panic as Grace raised a pair of binoculars to her eyes._

 _"It's him, it's Izzy Pelagio," She gasped. "You're right." She added as the man in question got out of the van and ducked into an alcove in the building to wait as the lights in the girls apartment came on and the time for her to leave drew nearer._

 _"I'm not waiting," Danny vowed and jumped out of the car. "I'm not letting this happen. We're taking him now!"_

 _"This is Detective Tidwell; we need back up at the corner of Parks and Camden," Grace yelled into her radio and then followed her partner to make the interception._

* * *

Maggie sheepishly followed her mother back to the front desk.

"Hello Maggie. I'm Danny. I just wanted to see if you're okay and maybe ask you a few questions. Would you be okay with that?" Danny's fatherly persona took over.

"Sure, I guess," Maggie replied and followed Danny out of the office and toward a small pool side bench where they sat down.

"So, I know I wasn't around yesterday when Steve came to talk to you, but I'm really interested in what you can tell me about your encounters with the men we are looking for."

"That creeper who leads the group of bad men around like puppy dogs?" Maggie asked as she picked Izzy out of some of the pictures that Danny had been scrolling through on his phone for her. "That's the guy. That's Izzy."

"He told you his name?" Danny asked conversationally.

"Yeah, and he hung out too long at the front desk as I was working. He tried to help me with my homework and talked a lot when other customers would come in. Sometimes it would boarder on creepy and inappropriate, and he could come out in the morning and walk with us to the bus stop."

"We?" Danny asked.

"Me and my brothers, Jared and Cameron."

"Who is the youngest?"

"Cam," Maggie answered and stared at her hands. "And sometimes I got this feeling like he watched Cam more than anyone else, and I told Cam to stay far away from him."

"Did he talk to Cameron alone?" Danny asked fearfully.

"No, never alone, but he tried a couple of times to get him on his own. He liked me more when we were alone together. I guess I was easier to be around because I am old enough to work front desk for mom and dad." Maggie fidgeted a little and then looked up at Danny. "I got to a point where I didn't want to work because I didn't want him coming around and then he finally left and I thought I was over reacting a little, but then Steve showed up with Captain Grover."

"He's not going to hurt you, or your siblings, I promise." Danny said and he could tell that the girl was anxious and scared.

"I swear I saw him outside our school the other day, before the first Five-O visit." She added. "But when I came home and told my parents about it, they thought I was over reacting."

"Never question your intuition. If a situation feels wrong, then it likely is. Tell me which school you go to and we will have officers watch out for you." Danny vowed. "We're not going to let anything happen to you."

"But you're worried about it, aren't you? Or you wouldn't have come back here." Maggie said fearfully. "I can tell."

"Yes, I'm very worried about it," Danny admitted.

"You've seen him do this before, haven't you? And it's worse than I can imagine, isn't it?"

Danny nodded.

"Then you know how to catch him, right?" Maggie asked optimistically. "I believe in you."

"I'll to my very best to protect you and your siblings. Nothing and no one is going to hurt you," Danny vowed. "But things may get bad before they get better."


	16. People Don't Change

Chapter 16: People Don't Change

"So did you get what you wanted out of the girl?" Steve asked once Danny had returned the young lady to her mother's side and moved to manoeuvre his pattern away from them.

"I'm worried about the girl and her brothers," Danny confessed. "I'm worried about my kids and the actions of a psychopath at large but I knew Izzy and I profiled him. And I swear there are things that can never be fixed in monsters like him. If he's going to screw up, it will be because of that girl and her younger brothers. And it won't be a screw up on his part as much as it will be on ours."

"Are you sure?" Steve asked and hushed his voice as they moved away from the open doors.

"He's exhibiting all of his hunting traits with her. She's sure she saw him at their school before you showed up yesterday. He's moving in on her. You need to get police out here to watch over them. I would pull the children from school and put them in protective custody if this was Jersey and ten years ago, and I'd do it without a second thought," Danny explained. "But that will push him underground. He'll know that I've made the connections again. If only we had eyes on him and we could catch him in the act of stalking these children. This would all be over."

"Maybe we should use them to our advantage," Steve suggested.

"You're not using a child as bait for a pedophile and serial rapist, hell, he's a murderer now." Danny spoke angrily but he knew that he'd planted the idea in Steve's head.

"No, we'll do what you think is best, but we may be ahead of him already. We may catch him tomorrow, but if we don't..."

"If we don't, we'll need to do something," Danny finished his partner's thought. "And these kids are our best bet." He added with a deep heavy sigh as he marched off toward the vehicle they'd arrived in.

"So are we going to talk about this partnership before we get back to the office?" Steve asked as the silence in the car returned and the sun began to fade.

"You can talk all you want," Danny answered with a shrug. "You're the one having problems. I'm just emotionally drained and completely screwed up right now, but sure, talk about the partnership if it makes you feel better."

"My problem isn't the partnership, it's this whole you not telling me things," Steve snapped.

"You know what you need to know. I thought I left these case behind or would only have to deal with them in court, but I was wrong. I made a move for the greater good and at the same time made a deal with the devil for his son. I didn't know it at the time. And it's not our business anymore. I left and you know everything there is to know as it pertains to Hawaii. You know more than you're letting on, and I know that, but in all honesty I didn't think these cases would ever matter aside for the fact that they haunt me. And that's not really between you and I, but rather, me and my counsellors," Danny started to talk in a way that was completely out of character for the rides they were used to. "I knew then how bad Izzy was, I saw the signs in him, of great evil, and so did his father, but I wanted the Pelagios. I wanted that case, that collar, for my own reputation. I knew better but I wanted it to drive my career forward, and it blinded me. I'm ashamed of what I did. I ask myself, would Steve had done it like this, and the answer is always no. I hold myself to a higher standard now. Do you blame me for not wanting to talk about it?" He asked and looked to his partner and Steve saw in his eyes the emotional state that was more like a nightmare in his partners tired eyes.

"No, I don't blame you." Steve responded and then turned his eyes back to the road.

"I got my collar. I did what others before me hadn't be able to do and it was because I got a pedophile to flip on his family, and a deal with DEA. I should have know that confinement and counselling wouldn't fix Izzy. I did know, but there were bigger fish. I let my career and ambitions get the better of me when I knew better," Danny shook his head and pounded his fist against his knee. "And so, here we are. We're dealing with my mistakes, and I'm sorry. Some people change and some just get worse, and I made a deal with the worst of the worst."

"I understand that you've changed," Steve commented. "You did what you had to do for the case."

"Me, Steve, I did this. I put these wheels in motion. I made a bad call back then, and sure, it changed me and I vowed I would never do that again. Because I regret it. I put people in dangers. I was young and reckless and blinded by ambition," Danny mumbled to himself angrily.

"I get that you didn't want to talk about it, but it's a case now. One of ours. This should be no different from any of our other case and yet it is and I feel like I don't even know you. Like you weren't going to trust me on this one at all." Steve spoke sadly. "I don't blame you. I see where your heart is, and the torment, but you didn't trust me enough."

"You know me too well," Danny accused. "None of this is surprising behaviour to you. Don't lie. You know all too well that it's business as usual now that you've forced me onto the case when I would have rather stepped back, but I shouldn't be surprised because everyone in my career has always pulled me right back into it. You know my files, my methods, how I've evolved. You know me, much to my chagrin, because we are partners and I do trust you, more than I've trusted any of the ones who came before you. You're just mad that I never confided in you about what I'd been through before I met you but it was because I knew you already knew. You've been over my personnel file, you know my case. You contacted my superiors back in Jersey. You got the down low on my whole career so don't pull any of that quilt shit on me."

"All right, you're right. I knew. Jameson got me access to everything and she used it against both of us, and yeah, I figured that all out but I expected you to tell me some of it. I shouldn't have to read all about it. I should have gotten it first hand from you because more than partners, I'm your friend."

"Sure, you're my friend, but I have a terrible track record with friends. They like to die on me, especially when it involves work."

"I ain't going anywhere," Steve half laughed but there was seriousness in his tone.

"Famous last worked, McGarrett, or have you forgotten all the times I've had to save your ass from Wo Fat."

"So why don't you know I would do the exact same thing for you? I followed you to Matty, and I'll be by your side through this. That is what's different this time. I'm right here."

"I know."

"And I will never let you quit, so don't try," Steve warned.

"No one will."

Back at the office, Danny and Steve found Peter alone at the smart table.

"Where did everyone go?" Steve asked as he looked around suspiciously.

"Couldn't wait for you two," Peter accused, "so they headed out. Toast and Kono have planted themselves under cover as a couple of stoners in tent city down on the beach. It seems to be the go to place for these suspects, according to Toast. Did you know that Toast's tech could do that kind of in-depth analysis and still run all of this stuff with no electricity to power it?" He asked in shock.

"Yeah, he surprises us often with his gadgets and battery life," Danny admitted, somewhat sarcastically.

"He's amazing!" Peter raved. "I want one!"

"So that accounts for two of my people, but where are the rest?" Steve asked.

"Oh, well, Lou went to over-see the rounds at the hospital, the changing of the guards as he called it, and Chin Ho and the one you call Jerry, who came up from the basement, are preparing to move the surveillance van into place to help Toast and Kono. Lou will join them once he's happy with the situation at the hospital, and after he'd wrangled back up through HPD," Peter explained. "Lou also brought some food, that his wife made, up to your ex-mother-in-law and Grace."

"That was very kind of them," Danny said thankfully.

Peter nodded, "You have good people here D. I'm finally okay with the move. I know you'll be well taken care of."

"Now you can report back to my mother, and all the rest of the district," Danny mocked.

"They worry too!" Peter laughed.

"Jersey," Danny cursed under his breath and shook his head.

"So this leaves the three of us," Steve jumped in once again as Danny breathed a sigh of relief. "Danno, you should try and get some rest. I know you don't want to but pass out in your office until we do our run in the morning. You've been running on empty."

"All right," Danny didn't protest and gave in far too easily for Steve's liking.

"I mean it, you've been awake since Monday. You need some rest." Steve ordered.

"I know, and I know that you want to grill Peter about Izzy, and whatever you think I'm not telling you. So I'm going to remind you that Peter wasn't my partner on the Pelagio case. I'm going to get to my office and make sure that Maggie has the police coverage that she needs, and yes, I will try to catch some zees before tomorrow or a full on breakdown of my mental faculties and body is immanent." Danny argued all the points that Steve was about to bring up, but that rant had happened before and it would likely happen many more times in the future. Danny then turned away and marched off to his office.

"You should also try and eat something. Lou's wife brought food for all of us too," Peter called after him as he went.

"Don't push your luck," Danny responded and disappeared.

"Did Danny actually profile Izzy?" Steve asked once Danny was gone.

"That kid was messed up, but officially Danny wasn't even supposed to get after him," Peter answered in a hushed voice. "Special victims were on that case but making no headway, but D had one of his feeling, you know, and went for it. He was right after all but the profile never connected Izzy to the cases in court because the DEA got to it before SVU could swallow their pride and accept the help that Danny was offering. It was because of the bureaucracy and the fact that Danny wasn't actually special vics unit, that Izzy got his deal. Danny's profile would have had Izzy up on way more charges had he not buried it out of anger and because Bartholomew came to him to convince D to get his kid the best possible help he could. I believe Danny regrets every moment of it."

"He called him a serialist," Steve said thoughtfully. "He knew way more than he was letting on. That's why he's such a wreck right now."

"That and the love of his life is dead," Peter said. "He loved her, fiercely, and she couldn't handle the job. Rachel wrecked him just as much as the job did."

"I know," Steve added in almost a whispered remembering the lengths Danny had gone to for the woman who shattered his heart a second time. "So what do you know about Izzy that I don't?"

"Danny believed that Izidoro Pelagio was working his way up to murder," Peter confessed. "He'd mention it occasionally, vaguely linking it to his bad choices to get ahead. I think he worried about him when he would actually get out. Then things started to snowball and Danny had other things to worry about. Then he moved to Hawaii and I guess he gave up on it."

"Well it looks like he was right," Steve said with a sigh.

"Yeah, but this isn't like the other victims. Rachel and Stan were revenge. Danny was worried about Izzy's younger victims." Peter explained.

"We should be too," Steve said as he began to pace.

"That was the elephant in the room," Peter admitted. "Danny worried that Izzy would go right back to his old way as soon as he was out of prison."

"Danny thinks he's already chosen his victims here," Steve added.

"The girl you visited?" Peter asked.

Steve nodded.

"What if there are others?" Peter continued. "He's probably on the right track."

"You know him too well, when is he ever wrong when it comes to these kinds of affairs?" Steve asked.

"You don't think that the plan for tomorrow is going to be the end of this, do you?" Peter whispered.

"Neither do you," Steve said and received the nod that told him he'd read the situation correctly. "And neither does Danny."


	17. A Deal With The Devil

Chapter 17: A Deal With The Devil

Carrying on with the plan, Steve and Peter continued through the night. Danny dozed for a while at his desk but was woken by the same nightmare that had haunted him in recent episodes of slumber.

A single light, Bartholomew bargaining for a son he knew was evil and Danny making the choice to help him. Then victims, new ones, old ones, Rachel and Stanley, and in a moment Izzy looking lustfully at a young girl, this time Maggie was before him and then, as if in a flash, her face changed to Grace. All this happening within a single beam of light.

Danny woke breathing heavily, his heart racing and his ears ringing with sobs. He watched as Steve and Peter worked, they weren't exactly quiet, but they were preoccupied and it helped Danny settle himself back within the boundaries of his reality.

Turning on his computer, Danny performed a database search on the island, and the longer he looked the more he plugged his former profile into his current case, and his heart sank deeper into despair.

* * *

 _"Detective Williams you have no place here. This is not your case, you are not in my unit. What gives you the right to barge in and act as if you understand the nuances of such victims? You will not throw your weight around in this place," Detective Inspector Ross practically yelled over her desk at the jittery detective who grew in anger. "Stay away from my cases!"_

 _"Are you blind? Can you not see what I'm handing to you?" Danny questioned as he dropped the file on the desk. "Did you hear me?"_

 _"I see, I see all to well, and in return you want to set a serial rapist and child molester free again?" She asked indignantly. "If he is what you say he is. If you've actually done what has taken me months to pull together, then you know he's a monster and we need time to piece this together."_

 _"Not free, I don't want him free and I believe he is your man. He will be locked up, one way or another. Can't you see I'm trying to help you?" He asked almost childishly. "He is the link to the rest of his family, and if we work together you can stop him from harming anyone else," he added with something like a smile that crossed his face. "I have him in custody. He's on my radar and he's prepared to testify against the family, but he wants a deal and the DEA is moving in. Now I know you know my profile is sound. You know my reputation. If you don't want it, fine, but I'm going to prove he's part of the family business and that family business is tied to prostitution. He was caught with a minor, sure, but she had a prior record and that puts him right where I need him. Others have testified that he is my man. And he almost nabbed his latest victim on your watch, but I got him instead. Now I came here as a curtesy to you because I have made the connections to your case. It is up to you to lock him down before the DEA comes back with his deal. If you don't want my help, then he's out of your hands and you'll never get him for the monster that he is."_

 _"You can't do that. This is my case," Ross yelled._

 _"I already have and the deal will be done. Izzy is protected and you were too slow with your profile, and too proud to take a hand when it is offered to you," Danny said and snatched the file off the desk._

 _"You know you made a deal with the devil for that man, don't you?" She said as she lunged for the file she hadn't even had time to peruse._

 _"Good thing special victims are on the ball and got to him first," Danny mocked accusingly, with a tone of scolding a child. "I offered you a rare opportunity but you don't want it, and so, in ten years time, when Izzy is out of prison and his counselling is finished, and he is back on the streets doing exactly what he has always done, you'll have your chance then. Make the most of it when the time comes," He added and walked out of the office, while detective Ross fell into her chair in anguish and fought to hold back her emotions._

* * *

Steve and Peter fell silent as Danny marched out of his office. He moved quickly to the smart table and using his tablet he swiped his research into the thick of the current case for all to see.

"Two since Izzy got here and HPD are on the scene of a third. One is still alive. All are younger than you'd like but they fit my profile of Izzy," Danny explained his findings. "The first two were found in off the trail motels, like the one Maggie's parents own. We've got to go now and see if we can't get ahead of this thing before Izzy strikes again," he added with a shake of his head. "I should have know, and I should have given you this from the get go - the moment I knew it was Izzy. You could have followed this profile and caught up with him rather than looking at this as a revenge plot. I'm sorry," He finished and handed the keys to the Camaro to Steve.

"But what about the raid?" Steve asked as he jumped to follow Danny in his movement toward the doors.

"Don't you see, this is all on me now!" Danny yelled. "Those children are dead because I made a deal with Bartholomew Pelagio to save his monster son. I knew what he was and where his actions would lead him. The raid is still on, and maybe we'll get him, but we have to check this out. Peter can stay here and run this side of the operation. We have time but the more we waste the less time girls like Maggie, and boys like Cameron, have."

"I'll get Toast on those motels," Peter said as he moved things around the smart table. "He's running everything as it is, what is one more search?"

Danny and Steve nodded.

"Go on, I can handle it. I think I've got the swing of things now," He added to give confidence to the two men before him. But Steve was still hesitant to leave the new comer in the office alone. "Go!" He ordered and lowered his eyes to the table once more. "Just don't be late to your big show!"

"Coms and Vests, now!" Steve set his resolve and motioned to the supply cases and Danny darted back toward the cabinets with his partner.


	18. Another Special Victim

Chapter 18: Another Special Victim

Out at the crime scene the officers were shocked to see Danny and Steve pull in but they were quiet and solemn as they worked. The body was still on the scene, Max was with it and his intern, his new one Lucas, and the whole area was taped off.

"I didn't expect to see Five-O, let alone you, Detective," Max commented by way of greeting as he spotted Danny and Steve crossing the tape line and coming towards him.

"You're the ME on these cases as well?" Danny asked in shock.

"I'm a very busy man with an intern and an overload, but it seems like crime rests for no one, not even you. Aren't you already neck deep in another case?"

"Same case, if Danny is right," Steve said as he stepped into the conversations. "And when is Danny wrong? He thinks that the guy who is killing these children is the same guy who he tracked years ago and who killed his ex-wife and her husband in revenge toward him."

Max and Lucas stared in disbelief as Danny nodded slowly.

"When you do your autopsy you will find connections to a file I will have uploaded before the night is out. I know you've already made connections just by seeing this victim, but you'll understand where I am coming from once you've read my file," Danny said with a sigh as he covered the girls face again. "This is Izzy's work. The difference now is that he's a serial killer. He's evolved in his time in prison."

"Yes, I have made a connection to another pair of victims here on the island," Max said as he snapped out of his silence.

"You can't change a person's nature," Danny added, more to himself then to anyone else.

"That is awfully pessimistic of you, Detective," Lucas commented.

"Trust me, Lucas, I've seen this before. I knew it would escalate to bigger things and I was optimistic that the system could work and help this person, or that he would get out of prison and stay in Jersey - leaving my colleagues there to deal with it. But I was wrong, and he came after me, and now these children are dying because I misstepped in my younger days. I was very naive and oh so wrong," Danny sighed, shook his head. Under his breath he said a silent prayer for the victim and stood again to face his partner and the friends they'd made in the medical examiner's office. "What else can you tell me about this victim?"

"We know she's local. We know that her parents knew she was uncomfortable with a person who affronted her on her way to school. It was reported to police but the person was not found," Max explained. "Eric should have more to tell you."

Danny looked around and finally spotted his nephew. "Kicked off the other location?" He asked as he caught Eric's attention and moved across the scene to question him.

"Crime doesn't stop for you, Uncle D, so what should it stop for me? What are you doing here? I would have thought the other case was much more important than this one," Eric said and questioned and then thought the better of it.

"It's the same came, different twist," Danny confessed. "What have you found?"

"Whoever was here left quickly. Lots of stuff left behind. This girl put up a good fight but I feel like something spooked him. This scene is so much more chaotic than the last one," Eric explained. "So much so that I wasn't sure it was the same case until Max got here and cleared that up. We'll look for cameras to see if they can give us anything and have that sent directly to your office."

"I already know who did this, but anything you can find would help us out," Danny said as he spun around, scanning the whole of the scene.

"You're not jumping to any conclusions are you Uncle D?" Eric asked suspiciously, and with a hint of worry for his family member.

"I don't have to, and I wish I weren't," Danny said and sighed, and placed a hand on his nephews shoulder. "Just find me the proof that will lock this guy up for the rest of our natural lives, and we'll get through the rest of it in our own way."

* * *

 _"D, you don't look so good. What's going on?" Peter asked as he sat down at the desk that faced his partner._

 _"Rachel has met someone," Danny answered with a sigh and ran his hands through his hair. "It's really happening. It's really over."_

 _"It was over long before this, D, and you knew that," Peter said. "It doesn't make it any easier. I don't mean you aren't going to feel it acutely, or that your family isn't going to be all up in your business but that is their way of helping. She's moving on and you need to as well."_

 _"I'll move on in my own way and in my own time," Danny huffed._

 _"I know, and we're all here to help you with that, but for now we have a case."_

 _"There is always a case, or a new threat. Hell, put me back on patrol and I'll find you twelve more. It's what I do," Danny grumbled as he stood and began to pace the length of the office. "It's what I do and nothing else. Who knows if it's good or not."_

 _"You are doing good, Daniel. You have to believe that."_

 _"Sure, but I've cut cornered. I've been rash and I've made deals I hate and it changed me."_

 _"You've grown up and the world isn't as bright, and as black and white as you once believed it to be. But you're still you," Peter reason as he leaned his elbows on the desk._

 _"Is that supposed to give me hope?" Danny asked sarcastically. "Either we change and we become deep dark pits of regrets and bad decisions, deals with monsters and misplaced trust, or we don't change. We are who we are and there is no hope that the psychopaths and pedophiles, mob bosses and serial killers, in this world will do whatever they please and that we will catch them. They will carry on, inside and outside of maximum security institutions and places we've built to give ourselves a false sense of hope, but really it never helps. We'll always have a job to go to because there will always be crime and evil in the world."_

 _"Your world has become very small and a very dark place, D," Peter said and shook his head. "You've gotta snap out of this or I'm gonna really start worrying about your mental health."_

 _"You weren't worried before?" Danny asked almost in shock._

 _"Oh, I'm at the end of my rope with you," Peter admitted._

 _"Maybe I don't want to snap out of it. Maybe my pessimism has me seeing things differently. Maybe I'm finally seeing things the way you have always told me to see them. My mental health is fucked up, but my policing is still sharp and solid."_

 _"Is that how you see me now?" Peter asked defensively. "As the one who has brought so much darkness into your world?"_

 _"No," Danny said as he back peddled. "No, I didn't mean it like that. Let's work this case. Forget I said anything. Give me the case."_

 _"No, we're going to talk about it," Peter yelled. "We're going talk about where your head is at so that I can judge accordingly and maybe not put myself in any danger. We're going to re-evaluate."_

 _"It's fine, we're fine, and nothing would happen out on the job," Danny said and threw up his hands in defeat. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it the way it sounded. I just meant that all the lessons you've been trying to hammer into me, even since I was little and way before you and I became partners, they are at the front of my mind. That's all I meant by it. I'm just really screwed up by this whole Rachel thing and I'm trying to get back to myself."_

 _"Sure, and I get that, but this is a slippery slope you're on and I need to know that you have the traction you need."_

 _"I have you," Danny said._

 _"And you're whole family, and yes, we have ways to get you through, but this is inside you. This is a lonely internal issue. I can't be the one to push the power button and reboot you. You have to do that," Peter explained._

 _"What do you need me to do to prove that I'll be fine? Do you need my file? Do I need to prove that I'm going to the mandatory counselling? It was an order, I have no choice. I'm going. I'm doing it. I'm taking the steps. I swear to you, I will find my way out of this."_

 _"And are you sure you wanna work while you're doing all these things for your health?" Peter asked and held the file just out of Danny's reach. "Because if this is going to be a set-back, I cannot, in good conscience, be apart of that."_

 _"Work's all I've got to keep me sane. I need to work," Danny answered._

 _"All right, then let's work."_


	19. The Show Must Go On

Chapter 19: The Show Must Go On

Morning dawned and the operation that the rest of Five-O had planned was a go. Danny and Steve had returned to the office, uploaded Danny's profile to the HPD system and gave Max the material he would need to make the great connections that Danny was asking for. Then Steve returned to shouting orders and planning and Danny fall into his desk chair to relive his nightmares for the sake of resting his body. But as the sun started to rise, the static energy of this strategic move work him up and Danny and Steve headed out to the car to take their places for the big show.

Kono and Toast had spent the whole night gathering intel on the beach and within the tent city, all while running the nerves centre as they went. A direct link-up, via wireless, to Chin in the surveillance van, kept Toast running and untraceable.

Jerry joined Kamekono at the shrimp truck. He left Chin when he was sure that the system was fully functional for Toast, and found his way to a secondary location, where he would watch the crowd, and still remain connected to the crew. He kept eyes on his people and his paranoia in check.

Peter stayed behind in the office to round off the group attached to the technology. Live feeds of traffic cameras and even a police helicopter played on monitors all around him, as he scanned faces in crowds and watched for anything that looked suspicious.

Chin moved the surveillance van from block to block as instructed by Toast and Jerry, and picked up on cameras all over the island. His direct link to HQ had him and Peter working in tandem, and speaking to one another as if they were in the same room together. All conversation were broadcast over the live radio feed and every move, ping, and suspicion was monitored, investigated, and the incident was dealt with accordingly if it posed a threat to the operation.

Lou took to the streets with Duke Lukela, in full uniform, to be the presence. They paroled the harbour, the beach walk, the shopping centre as the shops started to open for the day and they reported every little thing to the team. Dealer and wrong doers avoided eye contact or moved on as soon as the uniform was spotted, and in a way Duke and Lou moved the crimes along to allow for the one big event to occur without any distractions. Other members of HPD were placed strategically all over the area, some under cover, some in uniform, but all were there to keep eyes on the situation and were wrangled and dispatched by Duke and Lou.

Danny and Steve took up their places to wait. They pulled the Camaro to a stop in a darkened parking structure, with sides that opened up to the outside and looked down onto the street below, the parking lot to the park and the white sand beach. From there they waited for their signal to move in, and they wouldn't move without word that their suspects were in place and exactly where they needed to be. And so the silence fell and Danny and Steve listen to the ongoings of their team as they waited, their microphones silent to the rest of their crew.

"If this works, it will all be over today," Steve said optimistically as they sat together. "We can hold them on breach of probation, and pin all of this on those bad men. It could all be over. We can interrogate them. Flip them. Make them confess, and we'll have it."

"You don't actually think this is going to be that easy, do you?" Danny asked skeptically. "Izzy isn't that dumb. Now, if they show up at all, I believe we'll catch a few of them, but Izzy is going to be harder than this."

"If we get a few we can lean into them and get what we want. I think we need a good, old fashioned, interrogation," Steve continued in his line of optimism.

"You mean you, and you may get it. Is that what you want to hear? Optimism?" Danny asked.

"Sure, because I already know all that could go wrong, will go wrong. My mind reasons those out, just as you do, and all I can do to keep my head on straight is as to try and think positively. We work to be ahead of the game, when in reality we're always behind until we catch up. But in situations like this, we have to be in the moment."

"You're right," Danny nodded and drummed his fingers on the door panel. "Optimism is all we have at this time."

"Pss, you've got me. I'd say that completely improves your odds," Steve said and smiled mischievously at his partner. When Danny finally made eye contact, Steve winked, and for a moment Danny let out a laugh.

"Is that the Navy SEAL talking?" Danny asked with what was left of the laugh on his voice.

"Damn right, I'm dying to tackle an arms dealer into the golden sand," Steve admitted.

"The looks on their faces if they recognize you without all your camo-paint and weapons," Danny commented. "The Bradys, at least, will get the shock of a lifetime."

"Hey, I have weapons," Steve said and motioned to the back seat.

Danny shook his head and laughed again.

"We've got movement," Chin announced over the radios. "I've got two black, unmarked, SUVs pulling up to the beach park."

"I see them," Kono responded and Danny and Steve jumped out of the Camaro and moved to look at the street below.

"This could be it," Danny said as he turned his microphone back on and Steve raised military issue binoculars to his eyes. "Steve has eyes on the suspects." Danny relayed the info as Steve nodded.

"I don't see Izzy," Steve added as he lowered the binoculars. "But I am sure Chadrick is in that car with Frankie and Mick, and Fergus is driving the second vehicle. I can't see the second passenger, but I'm going to assume it's Ronan." He finished as he lowered the binoculars and looked to Danny.

"Even if Izzy isn't with them, we take them out. Wait for the cars to stop, and the suspects to get out. Steve and I are on the move," Danny ordered and at the word Steve jumped into motion.

Meanwhile down at street level, Kono and Chin, and Lou and Duke, moved into their potions, while their non-combat team mates stayed safely out of the take down area. Hidden weapons and undercover officers were also moves, passed along and concealed, until the men were out of their vehicles and the group of five, confirmed by the eye in the sky and Peter's known association with the lot of them, gave the signal that, indeed these were the men, and no, Izzy was not part of the group on this day.

Danny's heart sank a little more knowing that his suspicions were true, and allowing that last thread of hope that he had carried with him to fade away. "Any officers listening to this frequency, please confirm that Maggie and her siblings are safe." Danny demanded into an open line with HPD.

"They made it to school safe and sound. Undercover agents are on the scene at their school." The reply came through over all open lines.

"Izzy, is not, repeat, is not, part of this operation. Keep on those kids until further notice." Danny ordered as the car engine revved up and Steve pealed out of the parking structure.

"We will find him," Steve vowed as the parking lot and the black vehicles came into view.

"I know we will," Danny said as he tightened the strap of his bullet proof vest.

"Operation is a go, Go!" Steve yelled into his coms as he slammed on the Camaro's breaks, sirens blazing and stopped the car with a cloud of smoke and dust before the suspects could react.

Danny bound out of the car, weapon drawn and moving quickly. "Hawaii Police. Stop. Do not move!" He shouted at the men before him as Steve covered his back, Kono and Chin rounded the tree line with their weapons drawn and Duke and Lou came up the beach walk in full uniform. "Hand where I can see them!"

"On you knees!"

"On you knees!"

The yelling of the Five-O officers and the appearance of more undercover agents set the suspects on edge. There was a moment of panic, a split second where they could have moved to retrieve weapons but they decided the better of it and hit the ground as the yelling continued. Five people were taken into custody without incident and, as quickly as it had all started, it was over and the vehicles, Five-O and all of their back-up moved out of the beach park and back to HQ.


	20. Claustraphobia

**_A/N: Good Day to you all, my friends. Here are the last 5 chapters of this story. I hope you've enjoyed it. Thank you so much for reading. Let me know what you think! Thanks again!_**

Chapter 20: Claustrophobia

Back at the office the suspects were divided up into three locations within the Five-O realm. Frankie and Mick were placed in on interrogation room - bound back to back with their hands and feet in shackles and they were sat together on the bare floor over the floor drain. They were left in complete darkness with only threats from the HPD officers who left them there.

Fergus and Ronan were brought into the Five-O bullpen, also shackled to one another, and they were paraded by the team who had caught them. Their faces were turned toward the floor as they walked along and the silence in the space, as the Five-O's eyes bore into them was enough shaming for the pair. They were guarded by heavily armed men and placed in the chairs before the Commander's desk in Steve's office. They were left to wait in silence as the door was shut behind them and two guards waited inside and two more waited outside. They could hear only the muffled conversations that were occurring in the bullpen through the closed door.

Finally Chadrick was placed in a solitary cell with no windows and only the door he'd entered through as means of exit. He was placed on a steal chair that was anchored to the floor with heavy duty bolts and the only sound that was made as he was left there was the clicking of the handcuffs as each of his hands were braced to a different leg of the chair. The officers who placed him there then left the room, turning down the lights to nearly nothing and he was left like that until Danny and Steve walked in.

"Chadrick Machiavelli, why are you working with Izidoro Pelagio?" Danny asked as he leaned on the wall.

"Fancy seeing you here, Detective. I'd heard you'd left the east coast but I never figured you for a the Hawaii type," Chadrick responded jovially, as if they had been long lost friends. He smiled at Danny and the sheer action made the detective cringe.

"Cut the crap, you knew he was here. We spoke to your brother," Steve said forcefully noticing Danny's reaction.

"I'm sorry, who are you? We've not met," Chadrick said and carried on in his manner. "Detective Williams is an old family friend."

"He's Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, and we're not friends," Danny snapped at the young man.

"It's a pleasure Commander," Chadrick said with a sprawling smile and bright eyes. "I'd shake your hand but, I'm a little tied up," He laughed at his own joke. "But in all seriousness, I've heard a great deal about you. What a career," Chadrick said excitedly. "I'm sure what I have heard is very one sided, but still very impressive. My colleagues say you're quite the superman. I'm sure they weren't wrong," he added with a wink that was almost flirtatious.

"Why are you here?" Danny asked.

"What is there left for me in New Jersey?" Chadrick asked in response. "Like you, I've come for a fresh start and fancy I should find a familiar face here to help me out."

"You can drop the act, it's not going to get you anywhere," Danny said. "We have video of you arriving in Hawaii with Izzy and the confirmation of it from your visit to your brother in Halawa. We intend to have you and the others charged in the deaths of Stanley and Rachel Edwards but if you cooperate the murders of two innocent young girls may pass you by."

"Come now, Detective, did I ever strike you as the type to kill anyone? Don't be foolish. I know you had me profiled way back in the day and if your intuition was enough to leave me out of the family business, then clearly you had no reason to think me capable of such things. Because you always go with your gut, don't you? I wouldn't hurt a fly. I'm very zen that way," Chadrick said boastfully and there was a tone of accusation in the things he said to Danny. "I wasn't anywhere near your ex-wife's house and your scientists will prove it. I was, however at a bar, with others like me, down in Waikiki. It was quite different from the gay bars back home. I rather liked it. If you don't believe me, then call the man I went home with. His name was Hugo, he's staying at the Hilton - room 202. He'll be there till Thursday."

"You're still an accessory to the murders. You knew about them," Steve accused.

"No, I'm not. I was at the hotel the whole time. I'm only here to do the talking. I didn't know about the murders until after the fact." Chadrick said. "I have proof. Hugo will vouch for me, and so will dozens of other low lives on this island, whom I am very sure are afraid of you. I was here to pull together a gang, or get Izzy off the island when the time was right."

"Really, why don't I believe you? It really doesn't matter either way. We have immunity and means, do you know what that means for you and your proof?" Steve asked as he moved in closer to intimidate the young man.

"You're dying to tell me, aren't you?" Chadrick asked and licked his lips. "Lay it all on my big guy, I can take it," He added and bit his lip seductively.

"It means your alibi can get accidentally erased, lost, or recanted. It means you will talk, you will tell us what we want to know and you will be going to prison when we are finished with you, because we will paint you as so decidedly bad, and on board with your half brothers plans, that no jury would ever find you as anything but guilty of all counts," Steve explained as he moved away from the man in the middle of the room and returned to Danny's side.

"I can't wait. I like it rough," Chadrick taunted Steve.

"Two little girls are dead and one is in hospital fighting for her life. Now I knew you were an odd fellow back in the day but I never pinned you as a pedophile, rapist and murderer, you are right about that," Danny said with a sigh as he decided to change his tactics. "But if that is what we have to charge you with, we will, because someone has to pay for what happened to those girls and I'm pretty sure you knew what was happening all along. It's the reason Izzy came here, it wasn't just about me."

"Girls, yuck! You know better than that, detective. Not my type at all," Chadrick said and once again winked at Steve. "You know damn well that Izzy did this."

"Is that where Izzy is now, after his next victim?" Danny asked.

"Well, he wasn't with us, so where else would he be?" Chadrick countered.

"Maybe you were the distraction. Maybe you knew we were close and he sent you in so that he could get away," Steve accused.

"How long have you been partnered up with G. ?" Chadrick asked directing his question at Danny. "I mean he's hot, but he's not the brightest tool in the shed, is he?"

"Where is Izzy?" Danny asked with a sigh.

"Izzy is up to his old tricks. Have you leaned any new ones yourself?" Chadrick winked at Danny.

"Where is he?" Danny demanded.

"Where the wild things are," Chadrick whispered. "Or maybe Whoville."

"We're not getting anywhere," Steve huffed his displeasure. "Let me rough him up."

"No," Danny said with a shake of his head. "But you are right. It's a good thing we have four more to question. First one to talk gets the deals."

Chadrick grunted his derision at Danny. "Come on, you were way better at this when you were younger."

"Back when you were the minor and got out of the family mess?" Danny asked.

"I'll never be out of the family mess until you've killed both of them," Chadrick spat. "Why couldn't you have just killed them all and left me out of it?"

"That's not my job."

"Neither are pedophiles and molesters, or is it now?" Chadrick asked and Danny could tell that they had gotten to the root of it.

"Five-O deals with all the worst of the worst. Any case can cross Danny's desk these days," Steve answered the question.

"So very elite, and yet so very boring. Where is the danger in that? Not like you're going to get into any trouble for sneaking around making deals with Devils and Daddies and doing it all behind your bosses back."

"What did Izzy do to you?" Danny asked as he came closer to the man before him and looked him deep in the eyes as if to read into his soul.

"Exactly what you're imagining," Chadrick answered angrily, his voice like the hissing of a snake. "Why weren't you there to save me? It was because I was a Machiavelli and they are all evil, isn't it?"

Danny jumped back.

"Then why follow him?" Steve asked.

"Revenge," Chadrick answered and his mouth twisted into a smirk. "He gets out. He comes to me and I encourage him because, of course, I'm no longer a his type and the dirty little family secret is out in the open now. I'm doing what Detective Williams failed to do all those years ago when I couldn't protect myself from men like Izzy. I'm going to get him caught and charged with what he'd always deserved to be charged with and then guess who will be the golden child of both families?"

"Where is he?" Danny demanded.

"Exactly where you think he will be. He's been there the whole time. Imagine his shock to see you there?"

"He's going after Maggie?" Danny asked.

"Maggie, Cameron, whichever he can get his hands on. Both if he has his way. You know him as well as I do, well maybe not as well as I do. He's got eyes for all kinds and probably had many marked, or chosen, or whatever he calls his impulses. I knew from the moment I saw him, the moment he came to me, that incarceration hadn't fixed him. How do you fix that kind of evil, sickness, hell the man tried desperately to fix men like me, but there is no fixing us. This is how we are. Sure, I encouraged Izzy to get revenge, and yeah I came with him to tip off the right people because yes I knew you were here, but I didn't know about your ex-wife. Izzy found that out on his own, all about you and your family, just as you had done with his. Then I went in seek of Hawaiian pleasures of my own and have the alibi to prove it," Chadrick said and shrugged. "And he'll wait until he can grab them - every last one of them. Do whatever you think you must. He'll wait because once he'd caught a scent, he'll never give up on that. You should probably kill him. I know you thought about it long ago, I know I sure did."

"Are you're saying this because you want to see us put lives at risk?" Steve asked.

"Danny's used to that. He risked all of us to catch the Pelagios. What's two more kiddos for the cause, or three, or four, or all of them?"

"Izzy wasn't my case," Danny said in his own defence.

"No, he was special victims but you knew and had you asked, I would have given you everything you needed to lock him up, but you never came until you came after the Machiavellis and then all you saw was another mob brat," Chadrick accused with tears in his eyes. "Was I an oversight or was it too much to give the SVU a hand? Or are we all just tainted in your eyes? I was an innocent, and you knew it, and you let me go," He said and every fibre of his being was accusing Danny of crimes he'd committed in the name of Justice.

"You were never on my radar. If you were a part of the SVU investigation, I was never privy to that information," Danny said trying to keep his composure because the accusation shook him to his moral core.

"Why can't we all just share?" Chadrick asked as he glared across the dimly lit space at the crumbling detective. "You catch him and you make this right, and I'll tell whoever you want that Izzy killed Rachel and Stanley and that he'd planned to take your children first!"

Choking on the air that he inhaled, Danny fled from the interrogation room.

"We'll get him," Steve vowed as he hurried after his partner and had to catch him in the hall before he hit the ground. "You've got to breathe, Danny. Grace and Charlie are safe."

"This needs to stop," Danny gasped for air as he tried to rush away from the walls that were closing in around him. "I gotta get outta here," He cried in his panic.

"Come on, I've got you," Steve said as he grabbed Danny and hoisted him up as they rushed for the stairs and the upper levels of the Hale.


	21. Can You Do This?

Chapter 21: Can You Do This?

Kono and Chin jumped as Steve practically carried Danny into the bullpen.

"Triple security on the hospital and double it on that school," Steve ordered as his teammates rushed forward.

"I'm going to protect those children," Danny vowed. "And if he wants me then he can have me," he added as he pushed Steve away. "I'm fine," he huffed and stood of his own accord, taking in a series of deep, deliberate breaths.

"What the hell happened?" Peter asked fearfully.

"A huge oversight on my part," Danny said as he took a few more breaths. "But I'm going to make it right."

"Kono, Chin, go interrogate the Jersey pair. See if they won't give you a lead as to where Izzy has hunkered down. I'm going to talk to the two in my office. Danny don't do anything crazy," Steve warned.

"Make it quick," Danny said with a nod. "I have a plan," he added and hurriedly moved off to his office.

* * *

 _"I'm the one in labour, Daniel. You need to be telling me to breathe, not the other way around," Rachel joked between contractions._

 _"Can we do this? Could they have put you in a smaller room to deliver this baby?" Danny asked anxiously._

 _"It's no smaller than any other room," Rachel cooed and then was over come with the strength of another contraction._

 _"Breathe through it," Danny said, suddenly calm under the pressure as he held her hand and coached her._

 _"I'm all right," Rachel said when it had passed. "We are ready for this aren't we?" She asked as Danny began to pace._

 _"I've wanted my own children forever," Danny confessed, "but now that it's here, I feel so unprepared."_

 _"I'm sure most first time parents feel that way. I do. All the things to worry about and she's not even here yet."_

 _"And all the bad in the world. I almost feel selfish for bringing her into it. I have so much work to do still," Danny added._

 _"You're one man, Daniel. You're not going to fix it all," Rachel said and sighed as she tried to relax. "I'm just relieved to know that this baby has the best of fathers already because he's been thinking of her and her future from the day he joined the police academy, and before."_

 _"I just want her to be safe and I will never let anything ever happen to her. I'll go where she goes. I'll be the wall that protects her. She will never be unguarded," Danny vowed._

 _"And when she goes off to college we'll up-root everything to go with her," Rachel mocked and laughed but there was so much love in her words. "And when we have more children you'll be torn. What will you do if one decides on California and the other Alaska and another Hawaii for their studies?"_

 _"I suppose I'll have to let them go at some point, but not without making doubly sure that they are as safe as I can make them," Danny said and there was sadness in his manner._

 _"It's a long way off yet," Rachel said to bring him back to his reality. "First this one is on her way and I'm sure she will be a daddy's girl."_

 _"I'll make her a daddy's girl," Danny said and smiled. "And I'll teach her to be strong, independent, not to be fooled by foolishness. You will teach her how to be a lady, smart and courteous. She will be ours."_

 _"Yes, she will be all ours," Rachel said and flinched as another contraction started._

 _"They are coming more frequently now," Danny said and his nervousness returned. "Should I get the doctor?" He asked when the wave of labour pain passed._

 _"No, not yet," Rachel answered and sighed. "Keep telling me about the future," she smiled with fatigue._

 _"She's going to be so smart and beautiful, Rachel. Just you wait and see," Danny said as he stroked his wife's hand. "And I'll be right here for her every day from here to the end of days," He vowed._

 _"I know you will, Daniel."_

* * *

Steve walked into Danny's office after having given his partner time to breathe and after having spoken with the Bradly Brothers. They'd been shocked to recognize Steve from their days with the Hesses but had not heard much from him in years. They had heard of him, from Izzy and had remembered his works, but the thought of actually seeing him again in Hawaii had not truly taken root. So it was a shock when Steve sat down before them and for dramatic affect he paused to wait for their minds to catch up.

Two or three federal and international threats later and the boy gave Steve what he wanted - names of several hotels and lesser known hostels on the island were given and Toast was put to work. And then the Bradlys were handed over to HPD and removed from the Five-O office.

"So what is the plan?" He asked Danny as his partner looked up at him.

"I'm going to pick those kids up from school today and I'm going to take them home. And I'm going to stay with them until Izzy feels comfortable enough to make a move and then we'll have him," Danny said. "Because if those kids are going to be bait, I'm going to be right there too."

"I'm going with you," Steve said and sat down. "But what if we've spooked him off these kids? You can't be the one to be seen, he'll be waiting for you, watching for you, and he'll stay hidden if he even thinks you're behind this."

"He won't give up on them once he's marked them in his mind and if we have to wait, we'll wait, but you're probably right, which means I'm going with you and you're going to carry out my plan. I've called off the security detail that was in uniform around the school and at the parents motel, and sent in under cover to watch," Danny explained. "I'm taking the necessary steps to make him feel as comfortable as possible."

"So how do you want this to work?" Steve asked.

"As normal as we can make it. We'll go, we'll make sure they get on the bus. If we have to put you in a suit a don tie and parade you around like a teacher, we'll do that. We'll follow at a distance, go to their stop and make sure they make it home. We will do it every day if we have to until Izzy feels safe enough to act on it, and then we'll have him. Until that point, we lean on his men. We check every small motel and hostel on the island. We try to catch him without putting any more children in danger and we make sure he doesn't go near that hospital and my kids," Danny carried on in a rambling manner, spouting off every idea that popped into his head. "We get the Governor of Hawaii to pull all the SVU files on Izzy from Jersey just to piss them off and when we get Izzy we pin it all on him. I will make this right with Chadrick too."

"How are the parents of these kids going to take this?" Steve asked as he stood and started to pace. "It's a good plan, I'd probably be the first to tell you to act on it, but they are kids and Izzy is a monster. Chadrick deserves justice, I mean he's guilty of being an accessory, but I think he's smart enough to know that and he did it anyway. He really wants you to make this right, and you do too, but those are children, Danny, and never in your wildest dreams would you ever let me do something like this."

"I've already called the parents and explained it all to them. They understand the situation. They understand that their children are in great danger, but they also want to help. If we could pull the kids out of this situation and move them off the island, if I knew that would work and that Izzy wouldn't follow them, I'd do that. But, he's got their scent," Danny said and sighed. "I offered to get them off the island to buy us some time but they won't go."

"If they leave do we miss our shot?" Steve asked.

"We might, we might see more victims before Izzy comes after Maggie or Cameron. We don't know how many he's watched but he's already killed two others and landed one in the hospital. He's making up for all that time spent in prison, and he's probably watching all of them. even if we do try to get those kids off the island, he'll find them."

"That's awfully reckless of him," Steve commented.

"Yeah, it might be his foolishness. It might just be that he can't help it. I can't pretend to know what is going on in his head but I can map his patterns and make the best possible educated guess," Danny explained. "But I'm going with my gut on this and it says this isn't over just yet for us. Those kids, my kids if they were his first choice, all the children in this community, they are all at risk because this guy is sick and deranged, and a monster beyond anything we know or understand."

"Well, we have time enough to put our people on it and to get to the school. Let's get back to work," Steve said and moved to the door. "Are you ready?" He asked.

"I'm ready for this to be over but I hate myself for resorting to this," Danny admitted and followed his partner out of the office.


	22. Bus Duty

Chapter 22: Bus Duty

Kono and Chin returned to the bullpen in time to hear about Danny's plan and to see them leave for the end of the school day.

"What did you get from Frankie and Mick?" Peter asked once the commanding partners were gone.

"Direction," Kono stated. "They were with Izzy at the murder of Rachel and Stanley. Izzy pulled the trigger. Frankie and Mick tossed the place looking for the kids. Still accessories to the crime and they will be punished accordingly but they are not prepared to take the blame. The Brady Brothers obtained the weapon used but they like Chadrick, we're not at that crime scene," She explained.

"You believe them?" Lou asked.

"We do," Chin confirmed. "They also gave us make and model of the vehicle that Izzy has obtained to commit his acts of indecency in. They say that they were unaware of what he was doing but that he and Chadrick were the ones who talked to each other as if they were friendly. Izzy ordered Frankie and Mick around, much as he'd done before he went to prison."

"Give me the details on the van, I'll get Steve and Danny up to speed," Toast said as his fingers flew across the smart table keyboard. "And the SVU case from Jersey is already coming through thanks to the Governor."

"That was fast," Peter commented very much impressed.

"Don't mess with Daddy Danny and his kiddos," Toast said with a shrug. "Now give me those details I haven't got all day!"

"Late model Chevy cargo van. It was white but they spray painted it grey. It should stand out," Kono jumped back in.

"License plate?" Toast asked.

"They have a few that are all stollen and that are switched out often," She answered and laid her note pad down on the smart table.

"All right, I'll scan surveillance from all the crime scene to see if I can spot the van," Toast said. "And these programs will ping the license plates if they come into view of the cameras."

"We've got some motel names to check out. The Bradys were in charge of weapons and lodgings, while Mick and Frankie were Izzy's backup," Chin explained. "If we split the list we can probably check them all out in person this afternoon."

"I'll take Peter, you two stay together," Lou said with a nod. "Let's go."

* * *

Outside of the school, Danny watched from Steve's truck. They'd left the Camaro behind as to not be recognized and Steve went in undercover. Dressed in his partners shirt and tie, and a pair of glasses that had a prescription that was far to strong but they were the only pair in the lost and found in the lobby of the Hale, Steve looked like the teacher Danny had imagined for himself.

Danny listening in, over the coms, as his partner talked his way through the school, into a meeting with the principal and onto the super visions of the children as they were released to take their busses home. He also listened as Toast barked orders to the two teams that hit motel after motel and hostels all over the island. Bread crumbs were picked up. The men had been seen with his pack and without, and undercover officers were put on places where Izzy had presented himself before.

Finally the bells for the school sounded and Steve was seen exiting the school wearing a bright orange and yellow safety vest and ushering children away to their busses. Danny kept his eyes peeled for any signs of anything out of the ordinary. If nothing happened he would make sure that the face of Izzy Pelagio would go out to every school on the island and within the chain. If Izzy had managed to get off Oahu then he wouldn't get away with hurting any other children and he would know just how far Danny's influence reached.

* * *

 _"You're doing great, D," Rick laughed as he watched his partner in the middle of the snowy intersection where a minivan had taken out the traffic lights._

 _"This is humiliating," Danny huffed wearing a reflective vest over his full winter uniform._

 _"Make the most of it, it's part of the job. We all have to do it," Rick countered as he flagged the tow truck into its place. "You wanted to be a cop, well, this is yet another lesson for you to learn. Right now you're one in hundreds who are on the streets every day and the streets are your very small world right now. And that means everything from patrol, to traffic stops and accident scenes are what matter most to you. You are part of the bigger picture and yet you have no bigger picture. You have to do it if you want to go anywhere in this business. The sooner you realize there is rarely any glory in it, the better cop you'll be."_

 _"It's the vest, not the job," Danny said smugly._

 _"It's to keep you safe," Rick countered again. "In this weather, more than anything, you need to be seen. I'm glad we can see you and therefore, drivers on these slippery streets can see you as well. It's got nothing to do with looking good. Though you make it look great, D," he teased._

 _Danny rolled his eyes and carried on through the task he'd been given._

 _"I saw that," Rick scolded as the snow picked up again, reducing visibility even further, and he started to light road flares in the dimming light._

 _"One day there will be glory in it for me," Danny vowed._

 _"Until then; noes to the grind, my friend, and get the job done. This is your whole world for now," Rick said and walked off._

* * *

One by one the busses departed and Steve would look to his partner with a shake of his head after each one. He signalled Danny again when Maggie and her siblings were loaded onto the bus, and Danny made a quick note on the bus's number. He then returned to watching for anything out of the ordinary.

Once all the busses had left, Steve returned to the truck and climbed in. "Shall we head to the motel to wait?" He asked as Danny sighed.

"Yeah, nothing is happening here today," Danny answered with a nod. "If nothing happens at all today we'll be on the scene in the morning when the kids are picked up and we'll follow the bus through its whole route. You'll take up the act again in the afternoon and we'll keep it up until he does act out on his impulses."

"Or we could try something else," Steve offered another option to the tedious business at hand.

"Do you have any suggestions as to what else we could be doing?" Danny asked sarcastically. "I'm all ears."

"Well, maybe the rest of our team will get something to move on. Maybe we find where he'd hanging and nab him there," Steve offered.

"Sure, and the others can handle that. For now this is our tiny piece of the world and we're going to protect it with our lives."

"Whatever you say, Danno," Steve caved in and removed the glasses before he pulled the truck back into the street.


	23. Shots Fired

Chapter 23: Shots Fired

Avoiding the bus and its route, Danny and Steve made it to the drop off before the bus. Steve ran into the motel office to reassure Maggie's parents as Danny sat watching the bus stop. It was at a distance from the motel, so the children would have to walk down the semi busy street. There were about five other children with stops along the way, but they all got off the bus at the same corner.

Steve jumped back into the truck to join Danny on the look out, throwing his bulletproof vest on over his costume, and noticed the questions in his partners eyes.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Have we checked those places?" Danny asked and motioned across the street.

"One of them is closed and abandoned, and the others have been check by HPD a few days ago," Steve answered.

"There has been movement at both," Danny said and raised his phone to his ear.

"Do you wanna check it out?" Steve asked.

"No, I'll call another team to do it. We're on the kids, remember," Danny said and Steve fell silent as Danny's call connected to HPD dispatch. Moments later the additional units were en-route and Danny seemed satisfied with his actions but for some reason he seemed more on edge.

"Spidy senses tingling?" Steve asked as Danny fidgeted nervously.

"There's the bus," Danny said by way of an answered and watched as a man walked out of the abandoned motel across the street while Steve's attention was on the bus. "This is going down now," Danny said drawing his weapon and jumping from the truck.

Steve recognized the man Danny was after right away but Danny was blinded by everything else around him. He rushed out into the busy street and Steve ran after him. Tires squealed and caught the man's attention.

"Izzy stop!" Danny yelled as he ran and raised his weapon before him.

Izidoro turned tail and bolted back toward the abandoned motel. He ducked into the doors just as shots from Danny's weapon rang out and then just as Danny reached the parking lot and the wide open space between the building and the street, shot answered his own.

Danny hit the black top right before Steve's eyes and for a moment the world around him stopped. Firing blindly at the motel Steve yelled into his coms as he rushed to his partner's side. Sirens were heard in the distance and all around them movement stopped. The bus halted with traffic up the street and, aside for the retaliatory fire, it was quiet and still.

Steve reached Danny, wide open himself, and covered Danny like a shield.

"It hit the vest," Danny coughed.

"Stay down," Steve ordered and laid his hand on his partner's chest applying gentle pressure to keep him on the ground. "If he thinks you're dead it might work to our advantage," Steve added and grabbed Danny's side-arm. "I'm just going to borrow this," he said and then, at a sprint, ran for the building.

Gun fire ceased as the sirens grew nearer and the abandoned hotel's parking lot was filled with responding squad cars.

Steve moved along the building, staying out of the line of sight of the room Izzy had retreated into. Two uniformed officers rushed to Danny and pulled him to safety behind a wall of cruisers as two others mimicked Steve's movement from the other direction.

Kicking in the door, with his backup at either side of him, Steve stopped short as he entered the room to find Izzy with a gun to the head of a little boy.

"Drop your weapon," Steve ordered. "Let the boy go."

"Is Williams dead?" Izzy asked, a twisted smile covering his face.

"Let the boy go," Steve demanded.

"I will kill him, if you do not answer me," Izzy countered and tighten his grip around the little boys neck until the child gasped and sobbed and began turning blue. "I'll kill him with my bare hand and you can watch his life slip away just like I did as I watched Williams squeeze the life out of my family."

"Williams is dead, you shot him," Steve said. "Now let the boy go."

"No, he's my ticket outta here," Izzy said but loosened his grip and the boy gasped for air. "I'm ready to leave this place, my job is done. You can have the boy when I have safe passage off the island and into a country without extraditions laws with the United States."

"You're not walking out of this room," Steve vowed. "You're going to prison."

"If I'm not walking outta here then neither is he!" Izzy threatened pulling the boy child closer to him once more.

"Let the boy go," Danny ordered as he walked into the room flanked by two more officers.

"I should have known you were a liar!" Izzy spat as he aimed his weapon at Steve.

A shot rang out, followed by a blood curdling scream and then silence. Izzy hit the floor, the boy rushed forward into Steve's arms and Danny stepped nearer to check the body.

"I thought I told you to stay down," Steve accused as he breathed a sigh of relief.

"I was going to but you weren't getting anywhere and I had to give Kono a minute to set up her shot!" Danny said and motioned to the shot out window. Kono stood there with her weapon raised. She winked at Steve and retreated.

The boy was handed off to the uniformed officers and removed from the scene.

"You came in here unarmed?" Steve asked angrily as he turned on Danny again.

"Someone took my gun!" Danny argued and clutched his chest.

"Someone ran in guns blazing and got himself shot!" Steve carried on accusingly but stepped forward do help his partner.

"Wasn't what you expected, was it?" Danny asked and breathed out a sigh of exhaustion and relief, followed by a sharp breath of pain.

"From the stories I've heard about this case, I'm not all together surprised at your actions," Steve answered as he wrapped his arm around Danny and helped him out of the room. "What say we get you to a hospital?" He asked as he was met at the door by the rest of the team.

"We heard your mayday and happened to be in the area," Chin said as they exited the motel room.

"Way to close the case, D, and save the little boy in the process," Peter added and clapped his friend on the shoulder.

"Wonder what the next Pelagio retaliation will be?" Danny asked, almost mockingly.

"We'll be ready for it next time, but enough of that, you have family to deal with and a check up to get to. You were shot," Steve said and lead Danny to an ambulance that had arrived on the scene.

* * *

 _"Take a deep breath, and calm down," Rick said as he pushed Danny down onto the black top, "take it easy."_

 _"Take it easy, I've been shot!" Danny yelled and fought his partner. "I could die!"_

 _"Nah, it's a shoulder shot. You'll live, just stay calm. If you go into shock things could get bad."_

 _"I've been shot by some fucking kid!" Danny yelled again. "Things are already bad!"_

 _"First time for everything," Rick laughed, "and the way you go at it, D, running in like you did, this will not be the last time you're shot. Next time, if you aren't more careful, you won't be as lucky."_

 _"Fuck you!" Danny cursed as the ambulance rolled up._

 _"Hey, hey now, be nice. Look on the bright side, you'll have a bunch of time off because of this and a wicked scar to show off to that pretty little thing you've been flirting with. First whiplash from her hitting the squad car and now a gunshot wound. The life you are living D..." Rick laughed again as the paramedics moved in. "Watch yourself, boys, he's a feisty one," He warned._

 _"I hate you so much!" Danny yelled at his partner._

 _"This wasn't my fault, it was yours. Why do you hate me?" Rick asked in reply and winked. "Keep up the good work, Daniel. You'll make an incredible cop one day."_


	24. Keep Calm And Carry On

Chapter 24: Keep Calm and Carry On

Danny walked onto the ward where his children were still being kept in protective custody. Eliza saw him coming, walking slowly and stiffly, and followed by Steve and Peter. Eliza rushed out of her grandson's room and stopped before the three men.

"It's over," Danny said with a sigh.

Eliza also sighed, her eyes welled up with tears and for the first time ever, she reached out and hugged the man before her. Danny flinched at the embrace, but hugged her back and let out another long breath of air.

"I know we've not always been friendly, Daniel, but it was just a hug," Eliza said almost angrily as she reacted to his reaction.

Danny tried not to laugh but couldn't help it and then flinched in pain again.

"It wasn't the hug," Eliza gasped.

"No, I was shot," Danny said and raised the hem of the t-shirt he was wearing to show the massive spreading bruise that had formed over much of his torso. "Shot in the vest, to be clear. Still very painful but I'll live, thankfully."

Eliza's eyes grew wide at the sight and she made him cover up again

"And that man who killed Rachel and Stan?" She asked softly as she stood before him.

"He was shot too. He didn't make it. The others involved are in custody and we are convinced that this is over," Peter answered as he reached out to shake Eliza's hand. "Peter Verardo, I hope to help out as much as I can before I leave to go back to New Jersey. We weren't formally introduced before."

"I remember you," Eliza smiled slightly. "So good to know Daniel has the help of his friends when he needs them."

"And we'll have you back with Five-O anytime," Steve jumped in.

"So now what?" Eliza asked.

"Steve, Peter and the team are going to wrap things up. This hospital business needs to end and we're going to finally go home," Danny answered. "We have a lot to discuss and plan, now that we can turn our attention to other unfortunate affairs."

"What about Charlie?" Eliza asked.

"He's been here a long time and before this whole thing blew up, there was talk of taking him home. I was hoping the doctors will release him and we'll be able to work on this terrible business from home."

Eliza nodded her understanding. "You look so tried, Daniel."

Danny smiled weakly. "I am, and I could use a good cup of tea."

With tears in her eyes, Eliza stood on her tip toes and kissed his cheek. "Come along then, my son, we'll fix you right up," she whispered.

Danny nodded to his friends and entered into a new era with his ex-mother-in-law and the defaulted task of burying the woman he'd always loved.

Steve and the rest of Five-O wrapped the case up, and sent it to trial, all while showing Peter the best of the island and helping out with the funeral plans as good Ohana always do.

Rachel and Stan were laid to rest on a Monday afternoon and Danny, his children, and his friends were left to carry on in a manner that was brand new to them all, and yet in some ways very familiar.

The End.


End file.
